Report: OKC Thunder Shakes Up NBA Trade Deadline, Acquires Jared McCain

Potential-packed Jared McCain will join the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who will be operating without their MVP.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are shaking things up on the potential path to another championship.

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the defending NBA champions will acquire guard Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for four draft picks, including one first-rounder this coming June. That pick originally belonged to the Houston Rockets and was acquired in the 2019 swap of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

With their wheeling and dealing well-documented, the Thunder will now look to work with McCain, whose promising NBA career has been interrupted by injuries. The 16th pick of the 2024 draft averaged just over 15 points last season but was limited to 23 games due to a meniscus tear. This time around, McCain, 21, was forced to miss just about the first month of the year after undergoing UCL surgery on his right hand.

The continued work of the 2025 deadline acquisition of Quentin Grimes, stationed as the backup behind rookie breakout VJ Edgecombe, essentially removed McCain from the rotation and put him on the block. McCain had his $4.4 million option picked up for next season by the Sixers, who will now have an expanded ability to bring back Grimes on a more comfortable deal.

Does Jared McCain Move the Needle?

McCain will likely get an instant opportunity to prove his mettle, as the Thunder recently learned that its reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will miss some time with an abdominal strain. He’ll likely compete for minutes alongside Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace, both of whom served as contributors on last year’s title run.

The Thunder (40-11) remains comfortably stationed atop the Western Conference but has slightly cooled off since its 23-1 start. OKC has gone 5-6 over the last two weeks and visits San Antonio on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m. CT, ESPN).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags