Andre Drummond is not the Sixers GM, but he sure plays one on YouTube. The veteran big man is now openly saying Philly should have held onto Jared McCain.
During an appearance on N3ON’s YouTube channel, Drummond addressed the trade that sent McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder back at the February deadline. He took the long way around to admitting what every Sixers fan already knows.
“I am very happy for Jared McCain. I wish we kept him, obviously, but I think he went to a good situation,” Drummond said. “I love the kid to death. Very, very good kid.”
The Trade Looks Worse Now
The Sixers got four draft picks for McCain. They also cleared salary and ducked under the luxury tax. On paper, that is a defensible return for a player coming off a meniscus injury and entering an uncertain second year.
In reality, McCain went to the Thunder and turned into exactly what Philly needed: a confident shooter, a smart playmaker, and a guy who showed up in the playoffs without flinching. The Thunder used him in the postseason to keep their offense humming during the runs to the Western Conference Finals.
The Sixers, meanwhile, got swept in the second round by the Cavaliers. McCain would have helped. Probably a lot.
Drummond Is Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud
Veteran teammates do not usually trash front office decisions in public. They smile through it, talk about respecting the business, and move on. Drummond did not exactly trash anybody here, but the message is clear. He thinks Philly let go of a player they should have built around.
That McCain went to a contender and helped them get to the conference finals only sharpens the point. The Thunder did not need McCain. They wanted him. The Sixers needed him. They sold low.
The McCain Skill Set Was the Sixers’ Missing Piece
McCain shoots over 40 percent from three on real volume. He moves well off the ball. He plays bigger than his size. The Sixers spent the back half of the year searching for someone who could give Tyrese Maxey a backcourt running mate who can actually shoot.
McCain was already that guy. They had him under control. They moved him for picks that will not turn into a player as good as him for at least three or four years.
Where Philly Goes From Here
The Sixers have a roster overhaul coming this summer. Joel Embiid’s health is the only conversation that really matters. Drummond’s contract is a question mark. So is Paul George’s place on the roster.
The McCain trade is going to age like milk if the Sixers do not nail this offseason. Drummond just put a bow on what the entire fanbase has been thinking. The Sixers traded the wrong guy.
Whether that pressure pushes Daryl Morey to swing big or doubles down on the rebuild path is the question that hangs over the rest of the summer.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
