What Jared McCain admitted about his emotional exit from the Philadelphia 76ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Jared McCain scored a playoff career-high 18 points Thursday night in Oklahoma City‘s 125-107 Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, going 7-for-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range. The performance added to a postseason run that has made one thing clear: the Thunder trade-deadline acquisition looks better by the game.

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McCain was the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, dealt with a torn meniscus in his rookie season, and fell out of the rotation in Philadelphia as injuries piled up in year two.

The Thunder acquired him in February for a first-round pick and three second-round selections. He didn’t see it coming.

Speaking with the media after Game 2, McCain described the whiplash of that moment.

“Man, I thank God every day. This is a blessing. When I first got traded, it was heartbreaking at that point. I didn’t understand what was going on. But coming here, it has been nothing but love. And I’m so grateful. I share my gratitude with the team, maybe a little too much sometimes. Sometimes I get on their nerves. But I really appreciate them and everything they do for me and my career. It’s worked out. It’s a blessing to be here. I’m truly, truly grateful every single day. Every moment, I thank God every day for being in OKC.”