The Oklahoma City Thunder haven't lacked depth while defending their title this season. Yet, general manager Sam Presti managed to add another impact bench piece in Jared McCain at the trade deadline.
McCain has made an immediate impact while stepping into a reserve role following his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. The 22-year-old turned in his best performance of the season during Wednesday's 121-92 win over the Brooklyn Nets, scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three.
“He's definitely integrated well. He's learning his teammates. He's learning our system and the fundamentals that we emphasize,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “I thought in the first half, especially, he had some really good defensive possessions, which has been really encouraging. He's done a really good job of committing to our fundamentals and the things that we need to do on the defensive end of the floor. Obviously, he's a very potent offensive player, but he gives up some size and needs to be really fundamental and feisty, and he's done that, especially lately. So we're pleased with the progress he's made there and he continues to be a fan favorite in the locker room just with the way that he's approached things since he's been traded here.”
Following a stellar rookie campaign, McCain struggled early this season with the 76ers while returning from a thumb injury on his shooting hand. Philadelphia sent him down to the G League in January before dealing him for the Houston Rockets' 2026 first-round pick and three second-round picks at the deadline.
Jared McCain making immediate impact in Thunder's rotation following trade
McCain has quickly found his groove in the Thunder's battle-tested rotation. The former Duke star has averaged 11.9 points on .475/.444/.885 shooting splits in 18.8 minutes per game across 18 appearances with the team. Oklahoma City had posted a 109.3 defensive rating during his minutes, which would rank second in the league for the entire season.
McCain credited the Thunder's coaching staff for easing his transition following the surprise deadline deal.
“When you first get traded, you don't know anything about what's going to happen, especially when you find out you're getting traded to the championship team. So I didn't have many expectations for myself,” McCain said. “Just coming in and trying to learn as much as possible, which is tough because you don't know what's happening. But once you step out there with these guys, they just give me the confidence. It's really simple. The coaching staff helped me right away. Not giving me too much information, just kind of letting me play, letting me play my game.
“They're already champions, so it's just being able to fit in any way I can. I think Sam Presti did a great job knowing exactly how I would fit. But this offense is amazing. Being able to move off the ball and play with shooters, play with guys who are elite in the pick and roll, great bigs. It makes it super easy to just come in and fit in, especially with the way I play.”
The Thunder hold a three-game lead on the San Antonio Spurs for the NBA's top seed with 12 remaining. McCain will be vying for playoff minutes in a backcourt rotation featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Ajay Mitchell.
“This is super cool just to be on a team that's the number one seed. Just having playoff hopes is one thing, and then being the number one seed and trying to defend that is really cool,” McCain said. “Especially with them being the [defending] champion. I'm just trying to come in and play any part I can to help this team be a champion again. I'm really confident going into any game with these guys.”
