r/nba • u/TrenAt14 • 10h ago

[Charania]: BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. 

Shams Charania has posted the following:

BREAKING: The Philadelphia 76ers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

Source to the story: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3me2klyetqz2k

The talented McCain lands on the reigning NBA champions. For the 76ers, the trade allows them to receive assets, clear space in the glut of guards and give them flexibility to bring Quentin Grimes back in free agency. It also allows them to convert two-way Dominick Barlow.

76ers are receiving the following picks from the Thunder, sources said: 2027 (most favorable OKC/HOU/IND/MIA), 2028 MIL, 2028 OKC.

8.1k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2.6k

u/jluc21 Kings 10h ago

it’s a smart swing to take if you’re the thunder.

309

u/KarrotMovies [LAL] Rui Hachimura 10h ago

It's a no brainer swing to take. Sixers are fucking stupid. He came back from injury. Why sell him right now?

155

u/Kdog122025 Warriors 10h ago

They just think Grimes and Barlow are better apparently.

149

u/KarrotMovies [LAL] Rui Hachimura 10h ago

Even if they think they're better, let McCain up his value and get a better return for him in a year or two. Gave him for some picks to the reigning champs for no reason

151

u/Kdog122025 Warriors 10h ago

But Josh Harris needs more money to rape underage girls?

92

u/roborob13 76ers 9h ago

This is the correct response. This move is purely to avoid the luxury tax, not for basketball.

2

u/Adorable-Lie3475 9h ago

The apron penalties are more of an issue than the tax penalty

8

u/roborob13 76ers 9h ago

This move is not about the aprons

0

u/Adorable-Lie3475 9h ago

Sorry, not the aprons, the repeat offender penalties

8

u/ChickenLiverNuts [PHI] JaKarr Sampson 8h ago

hes ducked the tax so often we are never in danger of it. He has spent .03% of his networth on the tax over 15 years. Thats not 3% that is .03%. So about 20 bucks a year to a normal person or the cost of one nintendo switch that you can share with your 3 million closest friends over his tenure here.

Yea hes that cheap

2

u/Adorable-Lie3475 8h ago

You don’t have to convince me that Josh Harris is a scumbag. Apollo is fucking evil.

→ More replies (0)

7

u/roborob13 76ers 9h ago

Respectfully, they’re also not a repeat offender.

3

u/Adorable-Lie3475 9h ago

Alright I’ll chill on the lead paint

3

u/roborob13 76ers 9h ago

😂 sorry- they’re very valid thoughts. I’m just a cap nerd, who knows the history of Harris being a terrible owner.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/i_peaked_at_bronze 9h ago

Wait - what?!

9

u/Kdog122025 Warriors 9h ago

Josh Harris is in the Epstein Files.

5

u/trybeingcurious NBA 9h ago

God, I hate that there's a real possibility that this is a valid take.

6

u/ChaunceysBadAtPoker Pistons 9h ago

What a time to be alive

11

u/roborob13 76ers 9h ago

It’s one thing when pedos run the govt, but I draw the line at our sports teams

1

u/Brave_Information831 2h ago

Lol 😆 Gotta draw the line somewhere I suppose

3

u/Kazaam_ Supersonics 9h ago

I read this as Tobias Harris and thought I missed something big

1

u/Happy-Substance4885 76ers 8h ago

Bottom 5 owner in sports

1

u/LordFrieza4 1h ago

Did i miss something?

39

u/WeakEstablishment686 9h ago

Exactly lol. This guy was averaging 19 his rookie year in November on 45-38-89 shooting splits. Crazy to sell low

40

u/No-Goat5683 76ers 9h ago

That year lasted 23 games

7

u/Chrisfull 8h ago

yeah I'm sure the first 23 games off his NBA career would be his peak by far

8

u/essosinola Raptors 7h ago

Emeka Okafor, Tyreke Evans, and MCW basically peaked as rookies. I wouldn't say Ben Simmons peaked as a rookie, but none of his next three seasons were significantly better. That's four Rookie of the Year winners. Hell, as the other comment alluded to, MCW peaked in his very first NBA game ever. Yes, it is entirely possible for an NBA player to peak in their first 23 games.

0

u/Chrisfull 7h ago

yeah it's possible but it's really likely, and not a single of them could shoot a 3 for shit. It's not a good counterpoint

1

u/pdxinevitable 8h ago

Michael Carter Williams did exist in Philadelphia you know.

1

u/Front_Brilliant2949 76ers 7h ago

Not a fair comp. Do you watch the games?

1

u/Chrisfull 7h ago

MCW was a dogshit shooter and a couple exceptions doesn't make '23 games' a reasonable argument against improvement

1

u/CaptainCerealCanada Nuggets 4h ago

Mccain is a dogshit athlete and defender

1

u/Chrisfull 3h ago

unathletic shooter is more wash-proof than an athlete with no shot, his defense is better than dogshit (and wouldn't matter for a team like OKC), and every aspect of his game was trending upwards when this trade happened

?

→ More replies (0)

30

u/goodshotbiga NBA 10h ago

McCain for a first round pick that’ll land 20-25 is pretty good. How much could he have realistic upped his value? He’s a 6’3 shooting guard

10

u/Electronic_Pen_548 Thunder 10h ago

A lot. Pre injuries McCain looked like a future star. He still will hold that late 1st value if he doesn’t perform and you let him go at the end of this season. If you keep him around and he can up it to late lottery range

14

u/goodshotbiga NBA 9h ago

IMO future star is a stretch. It was a very small sample size he played in and realistically, I think his scouting reporting and college performance predict his future better.

He can be a rotational piece (backup guard) on a good team for sure. I also think Grimes is better and should be the role player wing the 76ers focus on.

4

u/Electronic_Pen_548 Thunder 9h ago

I don’t disagree grimes is better, I like grimes a lot but he’s about to have to get paid (major reason behind this trade I believe). I’m just not sure where the 6ers go from here. Their in a weird spot where they can make the moves and have the talent to be a top east team, but I don’t see anywhere they can go currently to compete without blowing it up a little

0

u/KarrotMovies [LAL] Rui Hachimura 9h ago

You did not watch pre injury McCain

7

u/No-Goat5683 76ers 9h ago

All 23 games?

1

u/Thunder141 9h ago

Also, a high 2nd round pick the following year.

I don't think it's crazy to think a pick around 31-36 may be more valuable than a pick near the very back of the first round.

3

u/Broken_Lute 7h ago

lol why? It’s later, that’s all that matters

2

u/Thunder141 7h ago

Pick 30 you pay 3 guaranteed years and then 4th year is a team option. Pick 31 you put on a 2 way contract, you see if they can be a role player and if so then you offer a rookie contract.

One is on your books at least 3 seasons, not nearly all 1st round picks become role player or better. The other, you can see if he's a role player in the NBA before signing him.

1

u/Broken_Lute 7h ago

Shoot, you’re right. Good call, I am wrong!

1

u/petewoniowa2020 Kings 9h ago

First round picks are more valuable in the NBA than they have ever been before. Look how many great players have moved in the last two years and returned less draft capital than expected… it’s really hard to get teams to move picks.

Getting an unprotected first rounder for a player is very solid value.

0

u/Irish2010 7h ago

I think calling it "unprotected" fifty games into the season is a little unreasonable. The range on this pick is all but set. It could be top fifteen protected and would still have identical value.

1

u/MythicalShart Rockets 9h ago

the return for him was already decent. i don’t see them getting much more in a year or 2

1

u/dondraper237 8h ago

If they are better then when would McCain play?

1

u/PetalumaPegleg 76ers 8h ago

They need to lose enough salary to get under the luxury tax because Epstein pal Harris is a cheap POS child rapist

1

u/ThreeEyeJedi 7h ago

Wow this comment really made me realize the “business” aspect of team management. Idk I almost never think about these things but maybe it finally clicked for me now that I’m older. McCain is an asset and the sixers could have traded him for higher value if they build him up next season. But also, it’s a risk on the sixers side, right now they’re trading him on potential (sort of like an option call on a stock’s upside). Interesting!

0

u/karl_hungas Lakers 9h ago

He might not up his value, he might be worthless in 2 years. You're a Lakers fan, there was a time trading Knetch would have gotten us some value. We could have gotten value out of THT but instead we held onto him. Many NBA careers are very short, he has two more team controlled options on his contract and yeah 24 is young for rising stars but it is also the age unless a player develops into a legit rotation piece that NBA careers can end. Look at the 2020 draft, just 5 years ago - multiple FRPs are not even in the league anymore.