During his season-and-a-half with the 76ers, Jared McCain became somewhat of a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
So, many Sixers fans were understandably upset when the team traded McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft capital prior to the NBA trade deadline.That sentiment extended to the locker room.
Tyrese Maxey expresses sadness about the departure of Jared McCain
Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey was close with McCain, and he expressed some sadness about the move. However, he also expressed optimism that McCain would thrive in his new setting.
“It’s part of the business, number one,” Maxey said of the move. “Number two, it’s just sad. [He] was like a little brother to me. … But I’m happy for him. Hopefully he gets an even better opportunity over there to succeed. He got a fan in me for life, a brother in me for life. … It’s just, you know, unexpected. You just never know.”
In addition to Maxey, several other Sixers players took to social media to share a message for their departing teammate. McCain was clearly a well-liked guy around the team.
Unfortunately for McCain, the Duke product was hampered by injuries throughout his brief tenure in Philadelphia. He was limited to just 23 games as a rookie after suffering a meniscus tear in his right knee. This season, his debut was delayed until early November due to a torn UCL in his right thumb suffered in practice.
Since returning, McCain had a tough time consistently cracking Nick Nurse’s rotation, and with Maxey and rookie stud V.J. Edgecombe both thriving in the backcourt, the Sixers didn’t necessarily see a long-term fit for McCain and decided to move on.
In all, McCain played 60 games in a Sixers uniform and averaged 10.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 20.2 minutes per game.
Time will tell if Philadelphia’s decision to move on from McCain was a sound one, but one thing is already clear: He will be missed in the locker room.
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