Despite exceeding expectations so far this season and holding a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race at 29-22, the Sixers were sellers at the trade deadline, sending second-year guard Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and three future second-rounders.
Speaking today to reporters, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey explained that the team remained active after agreeing to terms on that McCain deal in the hopes of adding win-now help.
“Because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal number one,” Morey said, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. “Obviously, no deal materialized, including using the picks we got from the Jared deal. We were trying to.
“That’s why we did that move a little early (in the week). We were trying to reuse those draft picks to add now. … The picks we got were offered to many teams, and nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now. But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”
McCain got off to an excellent start as a rookie in 2024/25 but underwent season-ending knee surgery and then had his 2025/26 debut delayed due to a procedure on his thumb. Despite the stop-and-start nature of his NBA career so far, the Thunder were willing to give up the sort of package for him that Morey felt he couldn’t turn down.
“I am quite confident we were selling high,” Morey said. “… And (we) weren’t looking to sell, I’ll be frank. Like, teams came to us with aggressive offers for him, and you could say, ‘Yeah, that’s ’cause he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value for our franchise, what we could get.
“… That return is for a starter quality player on a good team. That is – it’s actually above that. We do a lot of analysis on how we think things will play out, both here and around the league going forward in terms of the quality of play, what kinds of returns will return, what players in the future. And the bottom line is, Jared’s a player who is a great future bet and a potential great player, and we wish him luck. We feel like this return sets us up better to set up the team in the future better.”
Here’s more from Morey on the Sixers, via Aaronson:
- The fact that that the first-round pick Philadelphia acquired in the McCain deal will be in a 2026 draft considered to be loaded with talent wasn’t a determining factor in the Sixers pulling the trigger, according to Morey. “We’re not necessarily using the pick in this draft,” he said. “It could be used for moves around the draft. The three seconds that we got with it, we think could be used to move up in this draft. I and our front office have done a lot of deals over the years, and this just gives us more tools to make the moves that we think will help our future.”
- After ducking the luxury tax for a third straight trade deadline, Morey said he understands criticisms about the team’s approach to that tax threshold. However, he pointed out that the Sixers’ current ownership group has paid tax penalties in the past and would do so again if he identified an opportunity that warranted it. “I understand the perception, and I’d hoped to defeat it by finding a deal that I can go to ownership and say, ‘We think this move is the right move to do for that and create the apron issues that it would create,'” Morey said. “But I haven’t been able to recommend that move yet.”
- The Sixers have a full 15-man roster for the time being, but two of those spots are occupied by players on 10-day deals. Asked about how Philadelphia could eventually fill them, Morey mentioned a guard and a wing, but said the team will focus on adding the best player available. A Jabari Walker promotion from his two-way deal also remains a possibility, per Morey, who added that the team expects to be in on players on the buyout market as well. “I think we’re in the mix (for buyout players),” he said. “I think they see a really good team or a really good market. We’ve had a lot of conversations already. We’re obviously in competition with other teams, so I don’t know if we’ll get the first option necessarily, but we’ll be in there with getting some of the top options.”
- While Walker remains on his two-way deal, ineligible to suit up unless he’s converted to a standard contract, the Sixers’ other two-way standout, Dominick Barlow, was officially promoted to the 15-man roster on Thursday. According to Bobby Marks of Sports Business Classroom, Barlow was signed using a portion of Philadelphia’s taxpayer mid-level exception and will earn $3.4MM for the rest of this season, with a $3.4MM team option for 2026/27. Morey said on Friday that the 76ers would have liked to do a longer-term deal and aren’t ruling out the possibility of working out another multiyear contract with Barlow in the summer rather than picking up his option.
Morey is so clueless. He literally said we traded McCain to make other moves only to not make other moves. I think Embiid will request a trade in off season if another early exit from playoffs is incoming.
Hah, I love Joel and he can demand all the trades he wants…but no one is willing to take his contract. I’ll drive him to Philly international myself if someone is.
An embarrassing leader. Lost in his own bs.
I had no problems with Philly’s moves this week but these quotes were rough, defensive and too self-indulging for my taste
I particularly liked the Barlow move , the value on McCain was good imo and nothing wrong beating the tax when ya sit so close to it.
Was always going to be hard for Philly to barter with the gaps between PG’s 51 M and Obures 8 Drummond 5 ect
IF they can use the extra bounty before next draft to to help turn Paul George into some more workable parts it becomes even better. No need to get defensive Morey, these reporters are just sheep sticking a microphone in ypur face, you dont have to stroke them
I think Morey haters will hate any move he makes and just need confirmation bias. His reasoning makes sense…even though I loved McCain and wished he was here.
He was going to have a limited role barring injury to our 3 guards, this year and in the playoffs. This likely would not increase his trade value in the offseason. The move was made (in Moreys explanation) in the intent to use those picks in a 2nd trade to improve to roster this year. Those trades did not materialize, so he didn’t force one. Now the intent is to use the pick as trade in the offseason or if that does not work to use the pick which will be in the ballpark of where McCain was drafted. I love McCain but he has not played well at all. I would prefer to have kept him, but this trade makes sense gives us a 4 mil trade exception a 1st rd pick in the mid 20’s and 3 seconds to add in somewhere. This is hardly a catastrophe, or terrible trade at this stage
IF Morey never hopped on a microphone I think he’d be viewed as a plus GM albeit tad risky
Think Dave Dombrowski MLB (who’s got a good overall Rep leaguewide)
can’t wait to see the 27yr old prospect they received in the eric gordan trade .. come in and tear up the league
I don’t have a problem with trading McCain for those picks considering he was the 4th guard . That being said the moves by Morey tying up long max contracts with old and injury prone players Embid and George made everything he does rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. They have to wait out those contracts to ever contend for a title.
I’m not one to defend Morey but it’s not like he had any other choice. What? Was he not going to extend the MVP? He had cap space he had to use right then and there or lose it and Paul George was the best free agent available.
If you’re going to criticize Morey how about focusing on the idea that he doesn’t think if players of anything more than assets?
Why they signed PG is a given, but they hid against themselves. It was widely known the Clippers offered him much less.
I would have rather gone with more depth pieces that were cheaper. I liked Miles Bridges (not as a person), DJJ, DeRozan, you wouldn’t have been stuck even if they didn’t pan out. You could move a 15-25m contract easier than a 50-60m.
Sixers fans need to be honest, the team was terrible last year and McCain was given unlimited run before the injury. VJ is the better overall player next to Maxey and Grimes is better than McCain. McCain can get injured again tomorrow and his value from a trade standpoint would only get worse and worse. Sell when you can. Use the picks on a player or in a future trade. I mean I’m in the same mindset with Bona, I don’t see him as a LT piece. I would have tried to trade him as well or would in the off-season.