It was a surprising move at the deadline when the Philadelphia 76ers sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a slew of draft picks. The Sixers will now have a first-round pick in the upcoming June draft, but McCain is playing well for the Thunder in the playoffs at the moment.
McCain is shooting 8-for-10 from deep through two games of the semifinals for Oklahoma City and is playing at a high level at the moment. He had 18 points off the bench on 7-for-11 shooting in a Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night and the young guard sat down with the Amazon Prime NBA team afterward.
He admitted that he was initially heartbroken when the Sixers sent him to the Thunder, but now views the trade as a blessing:
This is a blessing. When I first got traded, it was heartbreaking. At that point, it was heartbreaking. I didn’t understand what was going on, but coming here, it’s been nothing, but love. I’m so grateful. I share my gratitude with the team. Maybe a little bit too much at times. Sometimes, I get on their nerves, but I really do appreciate them and everything they do for me.
“This is a blessing, when I first got traded, it was heartbreaking.”
Jared McCain reflects on being traded to OKC and the love he has for his new team 💙 pic.twitter.com/EtgvOtVt9J
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 8, 2026
The Sixers are currently trailing the New York Knicks 2-0 in their Round 2 series and are looking to get on the board on Friday night in Game 3 at home.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Jared McCain admits he was heartbroken when Sixers sent him to Thunder