Jared McCain may not be the loudest name in the Thunder’s young-core conversation, but his path next season could end up turning plenty of heads.
Oklahoma City is heading into the coming year with a lot of pressure on its younger players. With some of last season’s key pieces no longer around, the kids are going to be asked to step into bigger jobs fast if the Thunder want to stay in the hunt for an NBA Championship.
Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell have already drawn plenty of attention. Wallace is expected to move into the starting group to handle Lu Dort’s spot, while Mitchell has been mentioned as a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year and a key driver of the second unit. Those two have been at the center of most of the buzz, but McCain’s projected rise could wind up mattering just as much.
McCain is set for a larger role too, and he enters his third NBA season and his first full season with Oklahoma City after being traded to the Thunder at last year’s trade deadline. He also proved his value during the playoff run, especially in the Western Conference Finals, where he posted 24 points in Game 3. The Thunder rewarded that showing by starting him in two games during the series.
That kind of trust says a lot about where he stands with the organization. It also points to a bigger workload ahead, with McCain likely to absorb most of Isaiah Joe’s old minutes as the team’s shooter from deep. He could also push well beyond the 20-minutes-per-game range.
Sam Presti has already pointed to McCain’s work habits, describing him as one of the hardest workers on the team. That kind of reputation matters, especially when a player is being asked to take on more responsibility. If that edge carries over, McCain has a real chance to make a major leap.
Presti offered two specific callouts while talking about reshaping the Thunder for next season: "Jared McCain, he’s up there with some of the best workers we’ve had,Ajay Mitchell, he’s ready to take another jump with more opportunity,”
Wallace has already earned recognition as an All-NBA Defensive Second Team selection, and Mitchell is being talked about as one of the league’s best young guards. McCain is in that same pool of rising talent, and he has the chance not just to join the conversation, but to take over more of it by next year.
In Other News...
Cason Wallace Suddenly Carries A Bigger Thunder Question Than Expected
Cason Wallace entered the summer with a familiar kind of Thunder pressure, the sort that comes with a young player suddenly looking like part of the next layer of the rotation. With Oklahoma City reshuffling its perimeter group, Wallace is in the mix to absorb a bigger role as the season nears, and he has handled the added attention the same way the team has handled most of its business: calmly, with the focus kept on what comes next rather than what has changed.
There is another layer to the conversation, though, and it is the kind that tends to follow promising players in Oklahoma City once they start looking indispensable. Wallace is eligible for an extension this summer, and the talks are ongoing even if both he and Mark Daigneault say it is not becoming a distraction. For now, the Thunder are trying to keep the conversation centered on development and performance, but the calendar gives the situation a little more urgency than the usual offseason backdrop. [Read more 🡒]
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There is still real business to sort through, even for a team that has spent recent seasons building with a clear plan. The final roster spot is one part of it, but the deeper question is how the Thunder fill the minutes and responsibilities left behind by offseason departures while also deciding which of the newer faces can actually stick once camp competition starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]
Otega Oweh Suddenly Faces A Real Thunder Problem This Preseason
Sam Presti spent part of the preseason talking about the NBAs new 3-2-1 draft lottery format and why it could make the league more competitive while cutting down on tanking, but the same broader shift could create a more ordinary problem for Oklahoma Citys own young players. The Thunder have long leaned on big rotations to help develop talent, and that approach has usually given prospects room to grow while the games still matter.
This preseason, though, tighter margins could make those minutes harder to find for second-round pick Otega Oweh. If the Thunder are playing more competitive games and shrinking the floor for developmental reps, his path could get complicated quickly, especially with the team weighing how best to handle his roster status and long-term growth. [Read more 🡒]