76ers' Jared McCain to Be Reevaluated in 4 Weeks After Surgery on Thumb Injury

After an injury-riddled 2024-25 season, the Philadelphia 76ers already will be without one of their key players as they prepare for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

The Sixers announced on Wednesday that second-year guard Jared McCain underwent successful surgery to repair a UCL tear in his right thumb and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

This marks the latest setback for McCain after his injury-shortened rookie year. He showed immense promise to start the 2024-25 season, appearing in 23 games with eight starts and averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He was even named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, which was highlighted by a 34-point, 10-assist performance in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, disaster struck when McCain suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in December that forced him to miss the remainder of the year. He appeared to be the early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but he instead spent the rest of the season watching from the sidelines.

McCain's injury was one of many moments of bad luck for Philadelphia last season. Star players Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George all missed significant time while dealing with injuries. Their absences caused the Sixers to finish with a disappointing 24-58 record and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 after entering the year with championship aspirations.

Philadelphia is certainly hoping that McCain's latest ailment will be the only major loss this year. The East is expected to be wide open in 2025-26, so a healthy season for the Sixers could be enough to get them to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001.