The Oklahoma City Thunder had a glaring weakness in their offense that were multiplied due to a heavy amount of key injuries. At the Feb. 5 NBA Trade Deadline, Thunder general manager Sam Presti sought to the open market to find someone who can bring a spark to an inconsistent offense.
When the Philadelphia 76ers offered up former first-round draft pick Jared McCain for Houston’s 2026 first and three future second-rounders, the Thunder could not say no. McCain has brought instant offense to a team that greatly needed it.
McCain’s addition came at the time a key subtraction occurred, with the Thunder sidelining MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander through the All-Star break with an injury.
In his first four games in Oklahoma City, McCain has averaged 6.9 points per game while averaging just 18.5 minutes a night. He is shooting 44.8% from the floor on 7.3 attempts and 42.9% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts a game.
The Duke product has brought great spacing and electric offensive production every second he has stepped onto the floor. In his 74 minutes with the team, the Thunder have outscored their opponents by 28 points.
In his debut, he entered the game to a thunderous roar from the home supporters. He would score five points in that contest, including a fourth-quarter reload three to cut into the Houston Rockets’ lead.
He followed up his debut with a blast of action in Los Angeles, scoring seven second-quarter points against the Lakers. McCain showcased movement shooting in the outing, knocking down a triple flying off of Isaiah Hartenstein.
Against the Phoenix Suns, the microwave scorer continued to get quick action in key moments. McCain scored eight points in under 90 seconds, helping the Thunder pull away with a blowout win.
After the win, McCain highlighted his instant chemistry playing alongside Isaiah Joe, who has had his best stretch of the season following the addition of McCain. He said that Joe’s spacing “makes the game easier to find shots for each other.”
Through the win against the Suns, Joe and McCain had a +53.2 net rating in their 33 minutes sharing the floor, with an offensive rating of 139.4. Between two elite shooters, offense comes easy.
The Thunder, down six players that include Hartenstein, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, then lost to the Milwaukee Bucks to close out its schedule before the All-Star break Thursday night. In the loss, McCain tallied his highest points total with the team, scoring 13 points and assisting on two made shots on 3-for-9 shooting.
When the Thunder get the rest of the team healthy, McCain’s ability to bring instant offense in short amounts of time will be increasingly critical when the playoffs approach.