NBA Analyst Stunned by Jared McCain’s “Perfect Fit” on the Thunder, Can’t Believe 76ers Traded Him

The Oklahoma City Thunder just can’t do anything wrong at the moment, including moves made during the trade season. They’ve been #1 in the West throughout the season, and in February, they decided to add another solid piece to their arsenal. Jared McCain has since proved to be a valuable addition to the roster.

McCain dropped 26 points in his squad’s 121-92 stomping of the Nets earlier this week. The 22-year-old, whom the Thunder obtained from the 76ers, provides another spark at guard on a team filled with fiery guards. He could be a potent weapon for the No. 1-seed in the postseason.

McCain has been proven to be such a good pickup for the Thunder and a bad loss for the Sixers that it has become a widely-discussed topic. Analyst Kevin O’Connor explained on the latest edition of his podcast how McCain has fit into OKC’s offensive rotation perfectly.

“He’s just a perfect fit. It’s seamless. It’s like he’s been there all year long already. That’s what it looks like watching Jared McCain on the Thunder with the movement off-ball and just the flow he brings and the crispness of his actions and handoffs,” O’Connor began.

It’s something that McCain used to watch Tyrese Maxey do with Joel Embiid all the time while he was on the bench in Philadelphia. McCain even jested in an interview about how it looked fun. He was almost saying, ‘I wonder why Philly isn’t using me that way?’

O’Connor caught that and wondered if that was a playful jab at Sixers coach Nick Nurse. “I don’t think he meant it as a shot at Nick Nurse. I highly doubt he did. But it sure felt like it because it’s the damn truth,” he said.

It’s still so hard to believe the Sixers dealt Jared McCain to the Thunder. I can’t get over it! https://t.co/gIIIYn39PT pic.twitter.com/PLbSUx6XJb

— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) March 20, 2026

“How did Nick Nurse use Maxey in that way for Philadelphia and then just discard McCain in the rotation and not see the potential there?” asked O’Connor. “It boggles my mind.” 

It’s something that has boggled the minds of many in the league. And that has just become Philly’s identity these days. They don’t see the pieces for success until well after they are gone.

Not the Thunder. They’ve utilized every single player for every single moment. “Day one, it looked like he was there all year. And now they’re 18 games in, and he looks even better,” added O’Connor.

That’s bad news for the rest of the West. OKC was already the Vegas odds favorite to repeat this year at the NBA Finals. If they get someone like McCain going in crunch time, it’d be near-impossible to stop them.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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