CARROLL, Iowa — Jared McCain practices almost nonstop. And the Philadelphia 76ers’ rookie point guard wouldn’t have it any other way.
“There’s a lot of things I have to learn and improve on,” McCain said. “I want to play this season. We have a strong team. I just want to find a way to get on the field.”
“Working with the coaching staff, (assistant coach) Rico (Hines) has been my guy all the time, coming in early, late, whatever, just trying to work as much as possible.”
He was assigned to the Summer Sixers after being selected 16th overall in the June 26–27 NBA draft out of Duke, participated in the Salt Lake City Summer League from July 8–10 and later in the NBA 2K25 Summer League from July 12–22 in Las Vegas.
He then headed straight to Durham, North Carolina, to train at Duke. McCain then traveled to the Philadelphia area to work out at the Sixers’ practice facility before heading to Los Angeles for an unofficial team mini-camp at Rico Hines Private Runs at UCLA.
The California native returned to Philadelphia last week before flying to Carroll, Iowa, on Friday for the Nick Nurse Charity Invitational at Carroll National Golf Club. After supporting Sixers coach Nurse, McCain returned to California to resume training with his teammates this week at the private races. The Sixers’ young players will return to the team’s training facility in early September to prepare for the season.
While Joel Embiid was representing Team USA at the Paris Olympics, many of McCain’s teammates were participating in the mini-camp.
“I got to be on the Podcast P podcast with Paul George,” he said. “Tyrese (Maxey) was there the whole time. The summer league team was mostly there. So, yeah, it was just getting to know everybody and seeing everybody again.”
McCain’s best skill in the NBA is the 3-point shot.
He shot 41.4 percent from three-point range in 2023-24, his lone season at Duke. The 20-year-old set a Blue Devils single-game freshman record by hitting eight three-pointers while scoring a career-best 35 points against Florida State on Feb. 17. He tied that three-point record by finishing with 30 points against James Madison in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
“I think being a shooter is a valuable thing for any team,” he said. “When Joel, Tyrese and Paul George are going to get doubled, Joel is going to get doubled, tripled, so I’m just going to be a spacer for him. I’m just going to be in the corner, on the wing, anywhere you can throw that jump pass to the corner. I’m going to be there, ready, ready to shoot and give them space right away.”
But McCain is also focused on providing the team with everything it needs to get playing time. If that’s just being a sniper, he doesn’t mind.
“If it’s playing team defense and knowing the rotations, being on the floor, knowing how to play with everybody,” he said, “if that’s it, that’s it. I just want to have every chance to play, whether it’s point guard, guard or any other player.”
That’s where his experience at Duke helps.
McCain was named a 2023 McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade California Player of the Year as a point guard in high school. He held his own without the ball and thrived as a shooting guard as a Blue Devil.
McCain now joins a team with three accomplished veteran point guards in Maxey, six-time All-Star and NBA champion Kyle Lowry, and another NBA champion in Reggie Jackson. George, a nine-time All-Star and wing, is also capable of running an offense.
Lowry, 38, played 18 NBA seasons.
George and Jackson are 34 years old and have played 14 and 13 seasons respectively.
At just 23 years old, Maxey’s relentless work ethic has catapulted the four-year veteran to an All-Star selection and the league’s Most Improved Player in 2024.
As a result, McCain will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best and most experienced players in the league.
“I watched Kyle’s highlights in college,” he said. “Obviously his highlights in the NBA, him being a bigger, stockier guard. Tyrese is a young player that I can learn from. And Joel, as the MVP, I can learn everything there is to know about him. Paul George, Reggie Jackson, the whole roster are people that I can learn from. That’s really what excites me the most.”
“Even if I don’t play, no matter what, I’m just here to learn as much as I can, so I can go as far as I can.”
Determined to gather as much information as possible, McCain reached out to a list of current and former NBA point guards, including former Sixer Patrick Beverley, via direct messaging.
His message to Beverley was: “I just wanted to ask you for some advice on the NBA. I have questions about everything, to be honest, and I just want to learn as much as I can before I get on the court. I’m up for anything. What are some tips for being a rookie? How do you get on the court? How do you get through the down times?”
McCain has great admiration for Beverley’s game and work ethic.
The 36-year-old opted to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League rather than minimum-salary contracts in the NBA.
“It’s funny, he gets a lot of flak for going overseas, for not being in the NBA,” McCain said. “But this guy made over $100 million in the NBA. Let’s call it what it is. He did very well in the NBA and he was able to stay on teams.”
“So it’s something I can do. I just want to learn as much as I can, whether it’s bringing energy or being that guy that can be the glue guy.”
