76ers' Tyrese Maxey Says He Misses Jared McCain After Trade to Thunder, 'I'm Happy for Him'
The Philadelphia 76ers could certainly use Jared McCain back in their lineup, but Tyrese Maxey is happy his former teammate has found success with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"I ain't going to lie and say I don't miss Jared," Maxey told reporters. "But I'm happy for him. I'm happy for him. I watch him in OKC and hope he does well every single night, except for when he plays us."
In February, the 76ers traded McCain to the Thunder in exchange for a 2026 first-round draft pick, 2027 second-round draft pick and two 2028 second-round draft picks.
At the time, McCain was a secondary contributor for the 76ers and struggling to regain his form from the impressive start to his rookie campaign in 2024-25. However, he was also bouncing back from the torn meniscus that ended that rookie season after 23 games and a right thumb injury he suffered before his second year in the league.
Philadelphia appeared to be selling low on the Duke product, which his time with the Thunder has further underscored:
The 22-year-old scored 20 points in Tuesday's win over the Chicago Bulls, which marked his third time reaching the 20-point mark in 10 games with Oklahoma City. He has also scored in double figures in eight of those contests.
McCain averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting 38.3 percent from deep during his rookie season with the 76ers and seemed well on his way to being one of their key players until injuries altered that trajectory.
He has seemingly rediscovered that form following the change of scenery and is now someone who could help the Thunder win back-to-back titles while taking full advantage of the spacing that comes with playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others with that outside shooting.
By comparison, Philadelphia is 4-7 in 11 games since trading McCain and is just a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic for the Eastern Conference's sixth seed and final playoff spot outside of the play-in tournament.
