The Jared McCain saga, and what to do from here

Coming off of a historic season with the Duke Blue Devils in college, expectations were high for rookie Jared McCain when he came into the league as the 76ers’ 1st round pick in 2024, at 16th overall. It was expected he’d be the primary point guard behind Tyrese Maxey, picking up the slack for him and keeping the offense fluid when Maxey was off the court.

McCain did a good job of that, but when Maxey went down with a hamstring injury in November, the rookie got much more of an opportunity. Seeing upwards of 30 minutes per night, acting as the starting point guard, McCain began taking full advantage of the chance he was given. A happy-go-lucky kid, McCain gave the struggling Sixers a sense of hope for the future, averaging 22 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists, and led the league in smiles.

Known for his humorous TikToks, in which he sang and danced to popular songs and created trends, McCain amassed millions of followers who enjoyed seeing his friendly, smiley, egoless attitude despite every reason to act the opposite. Once McCain started turning things up for the Sixers, his attitude still didn’t change. He gained massive support in Philadelphia, who adored the 20-year-old who gave promise in a dying season.

That hope was snatched away when McCain came down hard against the Indiana Pacers in mid-December of last season, tearing his meniscus and ending his runaway Rookie of the Year campaign way too early. With no McCain, Maxey, and Joel Embiid barely playing (and eventually being ruled out for the season in February), the Sixers went on to have the worst season since the early Process days, ending with just a 24-58 record.

Because of that record, Philly was able to snag a top 3 pick and select VJ Edgecombe in the 2025 NBA draft, who has turned into an emerging star for the Sixers, playing valuable starting minutes every night. As Edgecombe progressed and the Sixers’ health became less of an issue, McCain began falling down the rotation. A UCL injury right before the season began was yet another setback for him, as he didn’t see the court until November.

As Maxey turned into an MVP-caliber player, Edgecombe was killing it, as well as other guards turning it up; McCain had fallen all the way down to out of the rotation. He was sent down to the G-League in mid-January, looking to revitalize his confidence and get him back up to getting minutes.

That’s quite the fall from grace, going from the NBA’s next star to the G-League in less than a year. Now, rumors are flying about sending him packing in a deal before the February trade deadline.

But trading Jared McCain away would be a grave mistake.

Yes, the now 21-year-old isn’t playing as well as he was last year. But did we really expect him to get back to 100% of his potential after almost a year off? Plus, Nick Nurse has barely given him more than 15 minutes in almost any of the games he has played this year, so what is he supposed to do?

Jared McCain is a valuable asset who needs to stay on this team. The 76ers drafted him to be Maxey’s backup and pick up the slack when he’s out. The plan does not need to change. He came in to play that role, and now that he’s barely been given the chance to do that, fans want him out. McCain needs to stay on this team, spend a few more weeks acclimatizing, and be put into the backup point guard spot.

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