The Oklahoma City Thunder watched their season come to an end at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs just one season ago. Now, they enter this season hungry to have a redemption-type campaign.
A big part of the Thunder’s postseason success was young guard Jared McCain. OKC traded for McCain and only had to give up a second-round draft pick to get what has turned out to be an absolute steal.
“The Sixers will receive the most-favorable second-round pick in 2027 from Oklahoma City, Houston, Indiana or Miami; one from Milwaukee in 2028 and another from the Thunder in 2028. McCain, the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is averaging 6.6 points, 1.7 assists and two rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game over 37 games this season. He was considered a bright piece of the Sixers’ future after they made him the 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft,” NBA.com wrote.
McCain will become even more important to the Thunder with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace now likely out for the year.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder lost two starters to long-term injuries in their 108-101 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday night. General manager Sam Presti announced Monday that guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery for a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, while guard Cason Wallace will undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both players are expected to miss several months,” ESPN wrote.
On Sunday, OKC made the decision to exercise McCain’s option for next season, meaning he will be back with the Thunder for at least one more season.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder have exercised their rookie scale team options on Jared McCain ($6.78 million),” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote.
McCain has proved that he is exactly what the Thunder need in a guard, as he is reliable both off the bench and in the starting lineup. Whether or not he will receive some sort of extension remains to be seen, but he has already proven to be a great pickup.
This season, the Thunder are going to need him more than ever, especially with the injuries to their backcourt. If OKC wants any chance of getting back to the Finals, McCain is going to play a big role in making that happen.
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