The second NBA season for Jared McCain has followed a difficult and fragmented path for the Philadelphia 76ers, with injuries, limited availability, and declining minutes defining his year to this point.
McCain, the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, saw his rookie season end early in December 2024 after suffering a torn meniscus. That injury cut short a debut campaign that had generated optimism before rehabilitation extended through the offseason. In September, during a team workout, McCain tore the UCL in his right thumb, costing him all of training camp and the preseason. As a result, his season debut did not come until early November.
The debut occurred in a road loss to the Chicago Bulls, where McCain played 15 minutes without recording an efficient performance. His first made basket of the season came on November 19 against the Toronto Raptors. Shortly before that game, Philadelphia assigned him to its G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, for what the team viewed as an early reset.
McCain appeared in two games during that initial assignment. Against the Greensboro Swarm, he recorded 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with three assists and two rebounds in 20 minutes. Two days later, he followed with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, six assists, and two rebounds against the same opponent. After returning to the Sixers, McCain produced his most effective stretch of the season, scoring at least 15 points in three consecutive games. That run peaked against the Washington Wizards, when he logged 25 minutes and finished with 14 points, five assists, and three rebounds while posting a plus-37 in a Philadelphia win.
That stretch ended as his role began to shrink. McCain is averaging 6.3 points in 17.3 minutes per game while shooting 35.4 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three-point range. On two-point attempts, he is shooting 38.2 percent, relying heavily on midrange jumpers and off-hand finishes. Defensively, opposing teams have consistently targeted him, while offensively, he has passed up or stepped out of three-point attempts he took more freely during his rookie season.
As Philadelphia approached a back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers, betting markets posted narrow margins. The Sixers opened as approximately 1.5-point favorites against Phoenix, with totals listed at 224.5 points before moving to 223.5 at several sportsbooks. Moneyline prices moved from Philadelphia around -115 toward the -118 to -122 range, while Phoenix shifted to plus-money pricing at some books. These changes occurred after Joel Embiid recorded 30 points and nine rebounds in his previous game, and as Paul George’s availability remained tied to a recent absence. McCain’s reduced role coincided with a period in which Philadelphia relied heavily on its starters.
McCain’s minutes continued to decline. He played fewer than 10 minutes in four straight games and then did not play at all in Friday’s 117–115 comeback loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, receiving his first DNP (coach’s decision) in two months. One day earlier, head coach Nick Nurse addressed the possibility of another G League assignment, saying, “We might have some meetings later on today or tomorrow. I think it’s always a possibility, but we haven’t had those discussions yet.”
On Saturday, the Sixers assigned McCain to Delaware for the second time this season. The Blue Coats were scheduled for back-to-back road games against the Noblesville Boom, the Indiana Pacers’ G League affiliate, on Sunday and Monday, followed by a four-day layoff. The assignment made McCain unavailable for Philadelphia’s games against the Pacers on Monday and the Suns on Tuesday, with a potential return ahead of Thursday’s home game against the Houston Rockets.
McCain’s first game back with Delaware during this stint resulted in his least efficient performance at that level this season. In 30 minutes, he scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field and 2-of-9 from three-point range, added five rebounds, recorded zero assists, and committed six turnovers.
The timing coincides with the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline. Philadelphia’s backcourt includes Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as projected long-term starters. Quentin Grimes, who signed a one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer, holds the right to veto any trade this season. His status directly affects the availability of minutes in the guard rotation as the season continues.
