Jared McCain thought for a moment that he was headed back to the West Coast. As the young guard waited to hear his name called in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, he revealed that he felt like the Sacramento Kings might call him.
“Certainly, I certainly did. [think I was going to the Kings],” McCain said on the Paul George show, “Podcast P“Presented by Wave Sports and Entertainment.
McCain noted that he only had one solo workout during his pre-draft process, and it happened to be in Sacramento. Since it was his last, it seems that memory stuck with him, leading the young guard to believe he could become the next member of the Kings.
The Kings took their first pick at 13th overall and went in a different direction. Instead of drafting McCain, Sacramento selected Providence’s Devin Carter.
The Washington Wizards and Miami Heat also passed on McCain. When the Sixers were drafted at No. 16, they had the option of trading the pick or making their choice.
On draft night, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey revealed that a strong offer was on the table. But with McCain being a top-10 player on Philadelphia’s draft board, the appeal of getting him at 16 was harder to refuse.
THE Philadelphia 76ers on SI The show is available on streaming platforms Spotify, Apple and Amazon.
For McCain, his last practice with Sacramento may not have been his best, leading them to take a different direction.
“It wasn’t my best workout, maybe that’s why,” he added. “I really thought I was going to make it.”
Ultimately, McCain is happy to be a part of the Sixers. While he’s joining a tough situation that puts him on a star-studded team with title aspirations, he’s embraced the challenge of working to try to crack the rotation as a 20-year-old rookie.
Learn more about the Philadelphia 76ers on SI
Former Sixers coach joins Nick Nurse’s old team
NBA analysts express doubts about Embiid’s MVP campaign
Former center reveals his thoughts on Sixers acquiring Paul George
