LOS ANGELES — The Philadelphia 76ers made two moves at the deadline to gain financial and roster flexibility for the future. They transferred second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for some draft picks (including a first-round pick) and Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in a future draft swap.
The trade deadline is always an emotional time in the NBA. Players check their phones every 30 minutes or so to see what’s going on or if they’re next in line to be traded. It was a difficult day for everyone involved.
advertise
It’s a tough day for everyone to be away from such a lovable player like McCain.
“Yeah, Jared is great,” Joel Embiid said. “Obviously, I feel like he’s starting to find his niche, especially because of what he did last year. I think the Thunder have a great player, especially the way they develop players and compete with the best defenders in the league. They have a lot of those. I think it’s going to make him better. Yeah, they have a good player.”
While Embiid wishes McCain the best with the Thunder, it’s a tough day for big man Dominique Barlow, a young player who has developed relationships with both McCain and Gordon. He expressed his respect for both players after Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
advertise
“It’s tough,” Barlow said of the deadline. “I’ve been on multiple teams. I’ve had quiet deadlines. Last year’s deadline, we made a lot of moves and now, like Jared and EG, it’s like starting with EG, just ultimate professional. He comes to work every day and talks to everybody. He’s just awesome. In my mind, he’s a guy that I respect a lot, and being around Jared, Jared can relate to it every day.”
At the end of the day, the NBA is certainly a business, but moving on from McCain could prove to be a questionable move over time. It remains to be seen how the Sixers fare. He clearly has the love and respect of his teammates.
“Incredible guy,” Barlow added of McCain. “He’s getting healthy. He’s finding himself. So, it’s definitely hard. Like a young guy, a young team, like he’s one of us. So it’s very tough, but it’s a tough job and I know you have to, like, try to take the emotion out of it, but it’s kind of hard when you have people who are super connected. So it’s definitely tough. It’s a tough day.”
This article originally appeared on 76ers Wired: Joel Embiid, Dominic Barlow discuss Sixers trading Jared McCain to Thunder
