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Strictly in terms of players, the Sixers’ agreed-upon Jared McCain trade is relatively simple.
McCain’s the only one changing teams in a deal that will give the Sixers one first-round draft pick and three second-round selections. He’ll join the Thunder’s pursuit of a second straight championship.
Beyond those basics, there’s not a small amount to consider in forecasting how the trade could pan out. First, a look at the ways the deal could age poorly for the Sixers:
The risks
When he’s confident and everything’s clicking, McCain has looked like an outstanding NBA shooter. He averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 23 games last year as a rookie. The Duke product has been markedly worse this season after a lengthy injury absence, but it’s not outlandish to imagine him becoming a great offensive combo guard in the right situation.
Of course, Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti has made tons of savvy moves. One pertinent example: Presti signed Isaiah Joe when the Sixers waived him in October of 2022. Joe has shot 41.1 percent from three-point range over the past four seasons and won the title last year.
We’ll have the clearest picture of the Sixers’ trade deadline after Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. With that said, we’ll note a scenario in which the Sixers essentially trust their current crew of role players appears plausible. If Quentin Grimes indeed remains the team’s third guard, the Sixers will need him to provide scoring pop and defensive chops off the bench.
Grimes generally has the credentials to check those boxes, but he’s had some rough patches this year where his play has been unfocused and unhelpful, full of cheap fouls and odd turnovers. Grimes has also shot 34.4 percent from long range. He’s a few years older than McCain but not a reliable veteran rich in playoff experience. Grimes has played in nine career postseason games, all with the Knicks in 2023.
As far as the picks acquired, the haul is significant. The Sixers have a list of strong selections under Morey, too. At this point, Tyrese Maxey (No. 21), Joe (No. 49), Paul Reed (No. 58) and Adem Bona (No. 41) all look to be far above average for the typical player at their draft slot. VJ Edgecombe (No. 3) is having a fantastic rookie year, too.
That track record doesn’t guarantee future success, though. And the Sixers’ 2026 first-rounder from the Rockets certainly won’t be a high pick. Houston entered Wednesday night with the NBA’s fifth-best record at 31-17, meaning the Sixers would hold the 26th selection.
Again, the dust has yet to settle, but if the Sixers do end up “ducking the (luxury) tax” —Joel Embiid’s words last week— it’s hard to envision the star big man being thrilled with the deadline.
The potential benefits
The Sixers came across as puzzled at times by McCain’s situation this year. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse expressed a desire to build back McCain’s rhythm and mojo, but he only wound up averaging 16.8 minutes and went to the G League twice.
Now, barring a trade that adds an impactful guard, Nurse should have easy guard rotation decisions the rest of the year. Ease isn’t inherently positive, but coaches tend to appreciate a bit of clarity. If they’re healthy — a vital “if” — Maxey and Edgecombe will play a massive volume of minutes. Grimes will be the obvious next best guard.
After parting with McCain, the Sixers should have no trouble converting both Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker from two-way contracts to standard NBA deals. There’s a real chance that keeping Barlow in Philadelphia for years to follow will be very useful. He’s a 22-year-old starter who’s selfless, athletic and versatile. The Sixers would love to see him develop as an outside shooter.
Morey may very well get great value out of the picks, whether it’s through the draft, as assets in a trade, or a combination. Restocking in that department is always nice — OKC has done so masterfully over the years — and the Sixers ultimately netted four picks for their fourth guard.
No Sixer will be rooting for the joyful, genuine McCain to fail, but the cold reality is they’ll hear much less about the trade if he doesn’t thrive in Oklahoma City. Whatever happens, he’s in the other conference …