Jared McCain’s path in Oklahoma City just got a lot clearer.
After arriving at the trade deadline and quickly becoming one of the Thunder’s best perimeter answers, the sophomore guard made his case the old-fashioned way: by knocking down 39.1 percent of his threes in the regular season and then turning in eight double-digit scoring games in the playoffs. By the end of it, he had established himself as the team’s top deep threat.
The Thunder’s offseason moves only sharpened that picture. Oklahoma City sent away McCain’s main competition for minutes, Isaiah Joe, in a deal that brought back just two second-round picks. McCain had already taken on most of Joe’s role, so the move felt like the next logical step.
But the more interesting development for McCain may not be the shuffle on the wing. It’s what the Thunder have done at center.
Sam Presti first locked up Isaiah Hartenstein on an extension that keeps him under contract through 2028-29. Then, in June, Oklahoma City used the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft on Aday Mara. The common thread is easy to spot: size, rebounding, interior presence, and, most importantly, passing.
Mara brings floor vision to the table, just like Hartenstein. At 7-foot-3, he’s a more capable passer than most people realize, and that matters in a system where Mark Daigneault likes to play through the center spot. Hartenstein has already shown how that can work, helping drive the offense from the top of the key with screen-setting and sharp passes to cutting guards.
Now the Thunder can keep leaning into that style even when Hartenstein is off the floor. Mara gives Daigneault another big man who can help run the offense without shrinking the lineup.
That setup should help McCain, who is heading into his first full season in a Thunder uniform with more space around him and less direct competition. Since he’s expected to come off the bench, he’ll likely spend plenty of time next to Mara, making their preseason chemistry one of the more interesting things to watch.
For McCain, the message from Oklahoma City is pretty clear: the staff has plans for him, and they’re already building the roster around making those plans work.
In Other News...
Thunder Fans Should Keep An Eye On This Undrafted Big
The Thunders trip through Las Vegas has started slowly, with Oklahoma City dropping its first two Summer League games, but not every part of the week has been a setback. One of the more encouraging developments has been the play of rookie Christoph Tilly, an undrafted big who has looked comfortable in the mix and given the front office something to monitor beyond the final score.
Tilly has put together a steady five-game stretch, averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while showing enough feel to suggest there may be more here than a typical camp body. With the Thunders roster depth making NBA minutes a tough climb, the more realistic path may be a spot with the OKC Blue, where a developmental role could keep him in the organization and give him a chance to keep building. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Caruso Just Dropped A Big Hint About OKCs Depth
The Thunders frontcourt picture has already shifted once this offseason, with Aday Mara arriving as the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft and Isaiah Hartenstein back in the fold after his free-agent return. Add in the retention of key veterans like Kenrich Williams, and Oklahoma City looks built to keep the same kind of lineup flexibility that has become a calling card of the roster.
Alex Caruso sees that depth as more than just a nice luxury. He pointed to the teams versatility across guards, wings and bigs, with a particular emphasis on how many options Oklahoma City now has at center, and he framed it as the kind of strength that can help a contender absorb change while still playing its style. After last seasons run ended in the Western Conference Finals, that balance of continuity and new pieces feels especially important heading into 2026-27. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Just Made Chets Thunder Future Feel A Lot More Complicated
Victor Wembanyamas new max extension in San Antonio does more than lock up one of the leagues most singular talents. It also puts a sharper spotlight on Chet Holmgrens place in Oklahoma City, because the Thunder are already paying Holmgren like a franchise pillar and expecting him to grow into the kind of two-way force that can anchor a contender. The comparison is unavoidable now, especially with Holmgren still working through the rough edges of defending true centers.
For the Thunder, the issue is not just what Holmgren is today, but what he has to become to justify that level of investment alongside the rest of a rising roster. Oklahoma City has built its identity on flexibility, length and lineup versatility, yet Holmgrens struggles in certain matchups have already forced the team into some awkward defensive choices. If Wembanyama keeps separating himself while carrying a similar price tag, the long-term math around Holmgren could get a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]