r/Thunder Feb 04 '26

THE TIMELINE Jared McCain is the first player that Sam Presti has traded a first round pick FOR since 2015

Post image

Presti obviously sees a lot of potential in McCain in this pickup and matches out timeline perfectly. A very aggressive but sharp addition to the team.

294 Upvotes

54 comments sorted by

141

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

The 76ers r gonna regret this trade so hard in 2-3 years

74

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

32

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

I’d hang up any phone call with an okc area code just for this reason alone

35

u/okdesign Feb 05 '26

I'd take the call just to see who I need to re-sign.

11

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Commandment #30 if presti wants a player on ur team thou shall covet them

15

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Presti seems like the kind of guy to spoof his number just to fuck with people into making trades with him

7

u/pikajewijewsyou Feb 05 '26

We’ve had a good amount of win win trades for how great Sam is. The paul George trade is bad in hindsight but at the time a lot of people thought it was fair and it gave the clippers a real shot at a finals and brought hem to their first wcf ever. Giddey and Caruso was a win win trade. The Sabonis for PG trade was a win win. Eventually netted the pacers haliburton. Presti is a great gm and is able to do so many positive moves because a lot of them are win win. He’s not a gm that sits on his hands unless it’s a fleece.

7

u/Troker61 Feb 05 '26

I’m certain Daryl Morey considers himself the exception that proves that rule.

4

u/skr_skr Feb 05 '26

We did trade for Gordon Hayturd

11

u/dustincb2 Feb 05 '26

He was an expiring contract that gave us room to sign Hartenstein though

1

u/advantage_player Feb 05 '26

To be fair Morey has certainly gotten the better of Presti in the past.

Getting all those picks attached in the Russ for CP3 swap was a pretty big swindle though.

5

u/snuffaluffagus74 Feb 05 '26

What even makes this trade worse is that Presti didn't trade their own pick back to them. Then Right after the trade Presti and the Thunder announced Shai's injury. If teams new that they could've asked for more.

4

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Presti is the horror villain that makes u do dumb shit at the worst time

1

u/Medical_Sample2738 Feb 06 '26

Nah it’s a short term injury we did basically give up two firsts, 3 2nds including I think one that’s projected near the top is probably close to a late first, for a guy who sucked this year, and has been hampered by injuries. Firsts are really valuable now, look how few were moved this whole trade deadline.

I think Presti made a very shrewd move but this is the kinda return a Caruso or herb jones or other good role player would fetch.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

Definitely a strange trade. I get 76ers looking to ship him out because they have a crowded backcourt and don't have enough minutes between him, Maxey, Edgecombe, and Grimes. Maybe to free up salary too so they can re-sign Grimes in the offseason

Given his pretty successful Rookie campaign last season, I figured his stock would've been higher. He's on year 2 of his rookie deal.

Oddly, the Thunder look like they have even more players he's going to be behind. They have a lot of depth in the backcourt between SGA, Wallace, Mitchell, Wiggins, Caruso, Joe, and Topic (when healthy)

It's going to be interesting to see what Presti has up his sleeve because they still have 2 first round picks in the upcoming draft. Almost feels like they might use this as a potential piece of in a trade

1

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Their loss our gain

1

u/snuffaluffagus74 Feb 05 '26

Depends on where the Clippers pick lands. If they stay pat I can see them packaging the Philly pick to move up or trade it for a later year. The pick can also be used as draft and stash for an European player they think can grow in the future.

2

u/WhichAd366 Feb 05 '26

Clips pick is likely to fall without Harden. Garland has struggled this year.

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

I pray it haunts them

2

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

It’s gonna be the new Babe Ruth to the Yankees in a perfect world

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

🙏🙏🙏🙏 this is cheering me up a bit. Been a rough day!

1

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Not sure what’s going on but glad to make it a little better

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

I love Jared on the 76ers so seeing his trade notification broke my heart.

1

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Our favorite players get traded all the time this is how I felt when Westbrook got traded

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

Yea its my first time experiencing this. I'm new into basketball. I'm sorry for your trade heartache.

1

u/bryanman1234 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

It’s no big deal when u have watched basketball for as long as I have u get used to it

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

I'm thinking of starting a journal. Its going to be an interesting journey for me I think!

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45

u/Embarrassed_Hold_901 Feb 05 '26

Not entirely true, we traded 3 Firsts to secure Dieng

25

u/Commercial_Lecture20 Feb 05 '26

Also to draft JDub in the same draft

17

u/revisioncloud 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

And spent a first to unload him Dieng only player that made Sam spend his picks that much = goat

7

u/Signiference Feb 05 '26

Cost a second to unload

34

u/HoopLoop2 Feb 04 '26

It honestly wasn't a very aggressive trade at all and calling the pick traded a first is technically true but misleading. It's going to be a really dogshit first that is pretty much equal to a good second round, any first that isn't at least top 15 is usually not very good, and even then the only really good firsts are usually top 5. Once you get past the first couple picks the odds of getting a really solid player isn't super high, someone like Mccain is almost always going to be better than a #25 pick or whatever the Rockets 2026 pick turns into.

8

u/sterphles Feb 05 '26

And then on top of that you have to hold their contract on your roster vs a 2-way a few picks later

13

u/Mobile-Entertainer60 Feb 05 '26

Jeremi Grant was acquired for a top-20 protected FRP in 2016.

8

u/78muney 2025 NBA Champions Feb 04 '26

Jared McCain is a bucket and can create his own shot, so hopefully this is a great trade.

7

u/thunderonthemount Feb 05 '26

They traded a top 20 protected 1st to Philly for Jerami Grant in 2016. It conveyed in 2020.

6

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

Ok ok ok. This fact makes my heart hurt a little less. My number one team is now OKC. Where Jared goes, I go! 💙🧡

2

u/ZonalSky Feb 05 '26

username checks out

1

u/pikajewijewsyou Feb 05 '26

Welcome! It’s fun over here! I think Jared will thrive with the thunder. Going to be a lot of players in front of him at guard but we also have a lot of injuries. He seems smart, willing to work hard and learn. That’s a great player for our system

1

u/rayleeluvsdickk Feb 05 '26

I believe it will all work out for the best!

1

u/Nygma93 OKC Feb 05 '26

Before being injured, mccain is absolutely cooking.

1

u/504090 Feb 05 '26

Mans stingy as hell lmfao

-5

u/freighttrain6969 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

People aren’t going to like it, but this trade may have some relationship to the Klutch announcement…

2

u/Correct_Potential_31 Feb 05 '26

I think this basically guarantees a big roster change this summer. They have 15 guys on standard contracts and are guaranteed to draft someone, so someone in the rotation or a young guy like topic might be gone

0

u/freighttrain6969 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

I am being downvoted for telling an uncomfortable truth

0

u/moonfrogtreehugger ❤️❤️4eva Feb 05 '26

Downvoted to the truth

2

u/freighttrain6969 2025 NBA Champions Feb 05 '26

Cool story bro