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As It Happened

Sixers NBA trade deadline: Philly trading Jared McCain to the Thunder; Anthony Davis to the Wizards; latest updates and rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo could be on the move, James Harden is headed to the Cavaliers leading up to Thursday's deadline.

The Sixers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for four draft picks.
The Sixers are trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for four draft picks. Read more
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
What you should know

  1. The 2026 NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday. Here are six burning questions for the Sixers.

  2. The Sixers made their first move Wednesday, trading guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for four draft picks, including the Houston Rockets' first-round pick in this year's NBA draft.

  3. The big name out there is two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Sixers would likely need to include V.J. Edgecombe in a deal. Columnist David Murphy thinks that'd be a terrible idea.

  4. Meanwhile, Dominick Barlow, is showing why he deserves to stick with the Sixers.

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Sixers trading Jared McCain to the Thunder for draft picks

Jared McCain’s tenure with the 76ers is over.

A source confirmed the team is trading the second-year guard to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the Houston Rockets' 2026 first-round pick and three second-round selections. One of the second-rounders is the 2027 most favorable pick from the Oklahoma City, Houston, Indiana Pacers, and the Miami Heat. The other second-rounders are the 2028 Milwaukee Bucks and 2028 Thunder picks.

McCain averaged 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 37.8% on three-pointers in 37 games this season. Moving the 21-year-old also enabled the Sixers to free up an additional roster spot and get below the luxury tax threshold.

Murphy: Trading McCain is a big risk, unless ...

Curious.

Suggestive.

Dangerous.

Social media reacts to Jared McCain trade

After less than two seasons with the Sixers, Jared McCain is saying goodbye to the City of Brotherly Love — and fans are saying goodbye to McCain, who was a favorite for rookie of the year last season before suffering a knee injury.

But it wasn’t just his presence on the court that Sixers fans were falling in love with. McCain also made a name for himself on social media, boasting 4.9 million followers on TikTok and 1.9 million followers on Instagram.

So it’s no surprise that Philly fans took to social media to express their condolences about the trade. That’s right, condolences. Sixers fans are mourning the trade and reluctantly saying farewell to McCain in the process.

» READ MORE: Many Sixers fans came to love Jared McCain and his social media flair. And now their hearts are broken.

— Brooke Ackerman

Bulls trading Coby White, Mike Conley Jr. to the Hornets: ESPN

Do Sixers have another move after trading away Jared McCain?

Mavs trading Anthony Davis to the Wizards: ESPN

Can Sixers counter moves by other Eastern Conference teams?

The Eastern Conference remains tightly packed, with three games separating the second-place New York Knicks and sixth-place 76ers entering Wednesday.

Eastern Conference standings

And some of the teams above the Sixers have already begun bolstering their roster, with more than 24 hours remaining before Thursday’s deadline.

Giannis wants to stay with the Bucks... if they want to win

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the big story leading up to the NBA's trade deadline.

"The entire NBA is waiting, because Giannis is the biggest domino," ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Tuesday on SportsCenter.

But the two-time MVP said if it were up to him, he'd remain in Milwaukee for the rest of his career, if their goal is to compete for a championship.

Maxey spoke with Harden about blockbuster trade

SAN FRANCISCO – Tyrese Maxey did not need to join the speculation about James Harden being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Maxey could just call his former teammate.

“I talked to him [Monday] a bit about it,” Maxey said following the 76ers’ win at the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night. “Hey, look, if he’s happy, I’m happy. That’s all that matters.”

Sixers light on trade assets beyond Maxey and Edgecombe

Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets needed to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team via a trade. And the Sixers aren’t going to trade either player.

Joel Embiid is once again playing at an elite level, averaging 29.3 points over the last 15 games. However, he has an extensive injury history and a three-year, $193 million contract extension that kicks in next season. While he looks great at the moment, there is a lot of uncertainty concerning how he’ll hold up in the future.

Meanwhile, Paul George has a tough contract to move after signing a four-year, $211.5 million deal in July 2024. At this stage of his career, he’s recognized as a fourth option on a championship team. Yet George is being paid as a top-two player. As a result, it’s hard to justify taking on his salary at this time.

What's the Sixers top priority: upgrading the roster or saving money?

Last Week, Joel Embiid expressed his desire to avoid the Sixers’ annual salary dump at the trade deadline to avoid paying the luxury tax.

“So hopefully we keep the same team,” Embiid said on Thursday. “I love all of the guys that are here. I think we’ve got a shot.

“I don’t know what [the front office is] going to do. But I hope that we get a chance to go out there and compete because we’ve got a good group of guys in this locker room, and the vibes are great.”

Latest on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors

It's unclear if the Milwaukee Bucks will trade away Giannis Antetokounmpo, but there are at least four teams seriously interested in landing the two-time MVP, according to multiple reports – Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and New York Knicks

The question is whether those offers are large enough for a team to land the "Greek Freak." According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, they're not, meaning "this saga looked likely to extend into the summertime."

In one proposed trade by ESPN's NBA insiders, the Bucks would send Antetokounmpo to Philadelphia for Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and two unprotected first-round picks. Fun, but it appears unlikely the Sixers are willing to part with their rookie phenom.

— Rob Tornoe

Three former Sixers players part of deals ahead of NBA trade deadline

  1. James Harden to the Cavaliers (per ESPN): The one-time Sixers star/disappointment is on the move again, this time heading to Cleveland in a swap for two-time All-Star Darius Garland. Cleveland is also reportedly sending a second-round pick to the Clippers for Harden, who will join Donovan Mitchell on the court with the goal of advancing past the second round of the playoffs.

  2. Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics (per AP): Boston gets frontcourt depth in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons. The two teams are also reportedly swapping second-round picks. Vucevic, whom the Sixers took in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft, spent the past five and a half seasons with the Bulls.

  3. Kevin Huerter headed to Detroit (per ESPN): The Pistons added some depth in a four-player, three-team deal that will also send former Sixers fan favorite Dario Saric ("The Homie") to Detroit. The Pistons will also reportedly get a 2026 first-round protected draft pick swap from the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose main motivation is to create salary space. The third team in the deal, the Chicago Bulls, get Mike Conley Jr. and Jaden Ivey.

— Rob Tornoe

One potential Sixers trade deadline target

Boston Celtics post player Chris Boucher is a player the Sixers are reported to have some “exploratory” interest in, according to a HoopsHype report.

A source downplayed the interest in the reserve power forward/center, who has appeared in only nine games this season with the Boston Celtics, averaging just 2.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes.

However, he flourished in the last seven seasons as a reserve glue guy for the Toronto Raptors. Sixers coach Nick Nurse was Raptors coach during Boucher’s first five seasons in Toronto. Nurse was able to get the best out of the undersized post player, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 406 games as a Raptor.

Forget about the Sixers trading VJ Edgecombe

This shouldn’t need to be said, but the Sixers aren’t going to trade VJ Edgecombe for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nor should they. Which also shouldn’t need to be said.

Just in case, let’s say it again.

No Edgecombe for Giannis. No Edgecombe for anyone. No Edgecombe at the trade deadline. No Edgecombe in the offseason.

Which Sixers players have movable contracts?

  1. Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.4 million salary): Before Paul George's 25 game suspension, Oubre’s was viewed as the Sixers’ most tradable contract — especially if the front office was instructed to get under the luxury tax. Now he is vital to the current roster as a tenacious wing defender and offensive player who can slash to the basket — and he has upped his three-point percentage.

  2. Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million): This comes with a massive asterisk because Grimes has the power to veto any trade after signing a one-year qualifying offer in October. Additionally, any trade approved by Grimes would relinquish his’ “Bird” rights, which allow teams to offer their own players a higher salary in free agency. So unless the new destination appears to be an ideal long-term fit, it is unlikely Grimes would sign off on any trade-deadline move and instead enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

  3. Andre Drummond ($5 million): What once looked like a resurgent Drummond season has turned into an odd role for the 14-year veteran. He starts whenever Joel Embiid sits out for injury or load-management reasons, and does not play at all when Embiid is in the lineup. That theoretically makes Drummond expendable — and perhaps the most likely (fringe) rotation player to depart at the deadline.

  4. Eric Gordon ($3.6 million): Gordon, on the tail end of a successful career, has played in only six games in his second season as a Sixer. Trading the 37-year-old in a salary-dump move would open up an additional roster spot that could be used to sign Dominick Barlow or Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract. One wrinkle: Gordon is close with rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, who played with Gordon on the Bahamian national team.

  5. Kyle Lowry ($3.6 million): Lowry is in his 20th NBA season. Like Gordon, he is on a veteran minimum contract. It feels less likely that the Sixers would let go of the Philly native and former Villanova star, given his primarily off-the-court role as a respected leader in the locker room and on the bench.

» READ MORE: A look at the Sixers’ movable contracts, and how Paul George’s suspension could impact their trade deadline plans

— Gina Mizell