On February 4, 2026, the Philadelphia 76ers traded rising young star Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return for the former 16th overall pick, the 76ers got a 2026 1st round pick and three 2nd round picks. Back in the 2020-21 pandemic, McCain started “his social media journey, he also dedicated himself to his basketball workouts and the weight room”(Bembry, 2024). Josh Giles, the head coach for McCain’s high school team at the time, said that “he put on 15 pounds, and it was all muscle. Sturdy, superstrong. That’s when you really started to see the difference” (Bembry, 2024). In 2022, Jared McCain committed to Duke University as a highly ranked five-star recruit and was selected 16th in the 2024 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jared McCain was well known for his outstanding career at Duke University. He was a social media star while at Duke, posting videos on TikTok of himself singing and dancing. In his freshman and final years he broke three records, including the most 3-pointers in one game. He broke his own record in the NCAA Championship with 8. He averaged 14.3 points and 5 rebounds per game as a starter. McCain and Duke then advanced to the March Madness tournament and made it to the Elite Eight, but they lost to NC State.
Jared McCain was traded mid-season from the 13th seed to the best team in the entire NBA. Since the trade, the Thunder have gone 13-4 and still remain the number one seed in the NBA. McCain’s former team, the 76ers, have gone 8-10, dropping to the 15th seed. McCain has improved since being on the 76ers, going from 6.6 points per game to 11.4 points per game with the Thunder and improving from 2 rebounds to 2.3 rebounds per game.
