On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder in a mismatch of a game that wasn't close in the end despite VJ Edgecombe's best efforts. Edgecombe may have scored a career-best 35 points, but that wasn't enough to combat a stacked Thunder team that took the win, 123-103. Just to rub salt in the 76ers' wounds, they saw Jared McCain, the talented young guard they traded to the Thunder in a “sell high” move, remind them of the player they gave up on.
McCain may not be a featured player for the Thunder, not when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren are healthy, but he did make the most of his opportunities on Monday. He scored 13 points in 25 minutes of play, making three of his seven attempts from beyond the arc.
The former 76ers guard wasted no time re-introducing himself to the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, as he made his first two attempts from beyond the arc off of handoffs from Jaylin Williams. And all Tyrese Maxey, who is currently out due to a finger injury, could do is watch with splayed fingers and an air of disbelief.
Tyrese Maxey's reaction to Jared McCain's back-to-back threes 😆 https://t.co/8wawqcsOvQ pic.twitter.com/oem9D0pgQ6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 23, 2026
76ers could well and truly regret Jared McCain trade
McCain may not have a shot at becoming a starter in Philly considering that they're all-in on the Maxey-Edgecombe backcourt, but it would have been helpful to keep a cost-controlled, talented young guard who can shoot it from beyond the arc.
McCain is a known commodity, and the picks they got aren't. Considering the 76ers' injury problems, having McCain around for the stretch run would have been nice. While Philly could still very well end up winning the McCain trade depending on how they use the picks they acquired for him, it's not looking good for them at the moment.
