LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers watched as their top Western Conference opposition, the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, improved at the trade deadline by making a buy-low move for sophomore guard Jared McCain.
OKC was widely hailed for the relatively low-stakes gamble, with James being the latest to sing the praises of general manager Sam Presti.
LeBron James Lauds Thunder for Not Being ‘Satisfied,’ Bolstering Backcourt With Jared McCain
While the Thunder entered the All-Star break with the most wins in the NBA (42-14), they have experienced a steep drop-off since their historic 24-1 start, going a pedestrian 18-13.
Injuries have played a major role in the team’s decline; however, many analysts had long been urging Presti to fortify his roster with another shot creator and shooter to ease pressure on now-injured superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen).
Presti did just that, cashing in part of his treasure trove of draft capital on McCain, who was in the midst of a sophomore slump for the Philadelphia 76ers after working his way back from a season-ending torn left meniscus in his rookie campaign.
The 21-year-old also sustained a torn ligament in his right thumb during a workout ahead of this season, delaying his Year 2 debut until Nov. 4.
Before his injury woes, McCain was on track to be a serious 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year contender, garnering comparisons to several electric star guards with his offensive creativity.
On Tuesday’s edition of the “Mind the Game” podcast, James credited the Thunder for not getting too complacent amid their title defense, noting that their core players should be elated about landing McCain.
“I like it in the sense that, when you’re a champion, and you’re a championship team, I like how they’re not satisfied with what they have, and they have a lot,” James said.
“But they’re still not satisfied, and the fact that he would still go out and see ways to improve his team, even though he still has a championship-caliber team, for a player, you feel so good about that, like the front office is going out and seeing, ‘Okay, this is what we might not be so great at. Even though we have a championship team still, and even though we’re No. 1 in wins in the league, how can we still get better?'”
Regarding McCain’s fit with OKC, the 22-time All-Star added that his skill set perfectly complements the defense-oriented squad.
“I like the pickup. Young kid … he can stretch the floor, adds another ball handler who can still get to that .5 mentality with what they do, and it’s gonna be interesting, though. But he’s a really good player,” James said.
Through four appearances with the Thunder, McCain is averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 3-pointers per game on strong 44.8/42.9/83.3 shooting splits in just 18.5 minutes a night.
The 2024 No. 16 pick has increased his scoring output in each of those contests, boding well for OKC’s likelihood of having pulled off a trade deadline steal.
