The Oklahoma City Thunder’s backcourt is heading into a season built on options, and Jared McCain may end up being the piece that gives Mark Daigneault the most freedom of all.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams remain the center of the roster, and Isaiah Hartenstein is still in place after staying with the team this offseason. The bigger shift comes from the trades of Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, which have opened the door to a much wider range of lineup combinations, especially on the perimeter.
That leaves Oklahoma City sorting through new possibilities in 2026-27. Either Ajay Mitchell or Cason Wallace is expected to move into the starting five next to Gilgeous-Alexander, and both bring very different strengths.
Wallace gives the Thunder elite perimeter defense and should be able to absorb Dort’s responsibilities without much drop-off. Mitchell offers downhill offense and another guard who can put pressure on the defense with the ball in his hands.
McCain, though, could be the player who makes the whole thing even more flexible.
He already looks like a dangerous off-ball weapon. What would change the equation is growth as a passer and a better feel for operating inside the offense. If that happens, the Thunder could start using their top four guards in a far wider range of ways.
McCain already gave Oklahoma City useful minutes in last year’s playoff run. In 15 playoff appearances, he averaged 10 points, 1.9 rebounds, and one assist while shooting 37.1% from three. That’s not headline-grabbing production, but it’s absolutely the kind of output that belongs in a playoff rotation.
The challenge now is how the Thunder sort out their backcourt after losing Dort, Wiggins, and Joe. Wallace and Mitchell are both in line for bigger responsibilities, and the starting job will likely come down to which one fits best next to Gilgeous-Alexander over time. Wallace may have the edge to open the season, but Daigneault should have no problem changing things from night to night depending on what the matchup calls for.
McCain fits into that same kind of thinking. At the moment, he’s best as a complementary scorer. He doesn’t have the physicality or handle to create much for himself as a lead ballhandler, which means he needs to be next to Gilgeous-Alexander or Mitchell, or both, to play major minutes.
Across his two NBA seasons, he has finished with more than three assists in a game only 13 times. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.7 is solid, but his game has always started with one clear idea: shoot first.
For Oklahoma City, that’s useful in its own way. The Thunder need players who can let it fly without hesitation.
If McCain adds some connective passing and gets more comfortable moving the ball to the interior or kicking it out to the team’s other shooters, the possibilities widen fast. Suddenly he can share the floor with Mitchell and help drive a bench unit, or even slide into a starting shooting guard role on select nights without disrupting the offense.
That’s what makes McCain such an interesting part of this puzzle. The Thunder’s backcourt already gives Daigneault plenty of ways to mix and match. If McCain takes the next step, that flexibility goes from useful to downright dangerous.
In Other News...
Thunder Front Office Faces Its Next Big Test While Still Setting The Standard
The Thunder keep drawing praise for the way theyve handled the roster they built around their young core, balancing ambitious moves with the kind of financial discipline that has become part of the organizations identity. Retaining key players has been a point of emphasis, and re-signing center Isaiah Hartenstein stood out as another sign that Oklahoma City is determined to keep its foundation intact even while operating under tight constraints.
Now comes the next layer of the challenge. With contract extension decisions approaching for players such as Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, the front office will have to keep threading the needle between present value and future flexibility. Oklahoma City has set a standard for sharp roster management, but the real test is whether it can continue making those calls without disrupting the long-term plan that has made the Thunder so hard to outmaneuver. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Schedule Puts OKC In Contender Spotlight Again
The NBAs newly released 2026-27 schedule reinforces just how firmly the Thunder have moved into the leagues top tier. Oklahoma City landed 30 nationally televised games, fifth-most in the NBA, another sign that the defending contender is expected to spend the season under a brighter spotlight with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams leading the way.
The national attention comes with a demanding calendar, too, as the Thunder will have to navigate several back-to-back stretches that can test a deep roster over the grind of a long season. For a team already being treated like a co-title favorite, the schedule sets up plenty of premium matchups and a chance to prove the hype is justified, even if the real measuring stick wont be clear until the spring. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Topic Is Caught In A Thunder Roster Crunch
Nikola Topic has become one of those young Thunder players whose long-term upside is easier to spot than his current place in the rotation. The organization has built a reputation for stockpiling and developing talent, but that also means there is rarely a clear path for every promising prospect, especially when health issues and a crowded roster limit the chances to get on the floor.
A recent analysis even put Topic in a category with other young players who may already need a change of scenery to get the next stage of their careers moving. There is no sign Oklahoma City is shopping him right now, and the Thunder have plenty of reasons to keep evaluating before making any move, but the situation is familiar enough to wonder whether his fit eventually becomes a trade question rather than a development one. [Read more 🡒]