Jared McCain is a Long-Term Project in OKC

Addressing a Glaring Need

McCain was selected No. 16 overall by Philadelphia in the 2024 draft. He showed extraordinary promise in his first year, leading all rookies in scoring and three-point proficiency (15.3 points per game, 2.2 threes made on 38.3% shooting from deep) before a torn left meniscus cut his debut season short.

His sophomore season has been a different story. McCain has struggled mightily in his return from his knee injury, which was compounded by an offseason UCL tear in his right thumb.

He’s scored 6.6 points per game while shooting just 38.5% from the floor in 2025-26. His performance has led to receiving multiple G-League assignments.

Oklahoma City’s shooting – especially on the perimeter – has been average and often unreliable. It’s McCain’s opportunity to immediately make his mark from deep.

Recently, the Thunder announced that reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander suffered an abdominal strain that will sideline him until after the All-Star break. Ajay Mitchell remains out with an injured abdominal as well.

But with just 60 injury-riddled games played before his 22nd birthday, and a shaky defensive profile at best, it’s better to view the McCain as a long-term project than a playoff-ready contributor.

Competition for Playing Time 

With recent trades presumably improving the Jazz (who owe a top-8 protected pick to OKC) and the Clippers (who owe a 2027 FRP pick swap to OKC), the Thunder were facing the prospect of adding three first-round projects in the 2026 draft.

The young talent on OKC – Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, and McCain — are a well pedigreed, mini-farm system of hurt-but-promising players on rookie contracts. 

The 21-year-old has flashed enormous potential and has had predictable short-term regression from injury. OKC needs high value and low cost players. They now have one who has a much higher ceiling than whomever the Sixers select with Houston’s 2026 first-round pick. 

What McCain brings to OKC

McCain brings elite shooting talent and can serve as a secondary ballhandler.

It was a great aggressive move to acquire McCain with their abundance of draft capital to push for more offensive talent. They needed offensive depth and they get it here.

Simply put, the Thunder valued the former No. 16 overall pick over a late first in this draft. 

McCain had such an insane rookie season that OKC is willing to take on his injury history because he’s someone who fits what they need long-term. He is a great relocator, makes simple reads, and plays at a good pace.

OKC needs to use his off-the-dribble shooting, and the team’s defensive infrastructure is certainly strong enough to insulate him. As of Feb. 4, he was hitting 44 percent of his unguarded three-point attempts this season. On a team as talented as the Thunder, he should see a boost in shot-quality.

He’ll get some run, but this is a development year for him.

OKC is able to be proactive with the understanding that they can lose a guy or two this summer. They aren’t drafting a prospect that they value more at the back end of the draft, even in a stacked 2026 draft class.

McCain is being viewed as if he’s one of their own draft picks for this summer.