Jared McCain Sends a Message to Philly After Trade to Thunder
It didn’t take long for Jared McCain to make his feelings known after being dealt from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just 10 days after the February 4 trade, the second-year guard dropped a pointed lyric during a Twitch stream with content creator PlaqueBoyMax. The track, titled “Write Back,” included a not-so-subtle jab at his former team:
“We better not run into Philly, cause if we do sht gonna get sticky. I can’t believe they gave me up.
It’s cool. I’ma show ‘em what’s up.”
That line? It’s got all the markings of a young player with something to prove-and a little extra motivation circled on the calendar.
McCain, now rocking the Thunder blue, finds himself in a very different situation. Oklahoma City is sitting atop the Western Conference with a 42-14 record and looking every bit like a team ready to defend its title. Meanwhile, the Sixers are clinging to the seventh seed in the East at 28-25, navigating a tough stretch without Joel Embiid and dealing with Paul George’s suspension.
Let’s rewind for a second. Philly took McCain with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He showed flashes in his rookie season, averaging 15.3 points per game, but his sophomore campaign saw a dip-likely due to injury and a crowded backcourt. In 37 games this season, McCain averaged 6.6 points, 1.7 assists, and 2.0 rebounds while shooting a respectable 38.5% from the field and 37.8% from deep.
Still, the Sixers made the call to move on. The deal sent McCain to OKC in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick via Houston, plus three second-rounders spread across 2027 and 2028.
For Philly, it was about clearing cap space and stockpiling future assets. For McCain, it felt personal.
And honestly, that’s not uncommon. For young players, especially those still finding their footing, getting traded can feel like a gut punch-like being told you’re not part of the plan.
McCain didn’t hide that. Speaking to the media on February 6, just two days after the trade, the 21-year-old admitted the news caught him off guard.
“No, not at all,” he said when asked if he saw it coming. “We were all on the bus to the airport, and I just got a call.
I had no feeling. I didn’t think it was going to happen, to be honest.”
That kind of sudden shift hits hard. McCain said it was emotional breaking the news to teammates, and while he’s trying to move forward, he’s still working through it. That honesty speaks volumes about where he’s at-not just as a player, but as a person navigating the business side of the league.
He made his Thunder debut on February 7 in a 106-112 loss to the Houston Rockets. The box score won’t tell the whole story, but what’s clear is that McCain has a new chapter in front of him-and he’s bringing some Philly fire with him.
The NBA has a long memory, and so do its players. If McCain and the Thunder do run into the Sixers down the line, don’t be surprised if things get, as he put it, “sticky.”
