The Philadelphia 76ers have been making headlines this season, and not just for their on-court performance. In a recent press conference, team executives Josh Harris and Bob Myers opened up about the surprising Jared McCain trade and addressed growing concerns over the luxury tax—giving fans plenty to talk about as the offseason approaches.

At the trade deadline, the Sixers sent promising second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that raised more than a few eyebrows. In exchange, Philadelphia secured three second-round picks and a first-rounder in the 2026 draft—specifically the No. 22 pick via the Houston Rockets. For a team in need of reliable bench guards, letting go of McCain seemed like a gamble, especially since he was just finding his rhythm after a torn meniscus cut his rookie season short at just 23 games. Since the trade, McCain has been thriving with the Thunder, shooting an impressive 12-for-19 from deep in Round 2 and helping Oklahoma City sweep the Los Angeles Lakers en route to the Western Conference Finals.

When asked about the deal, Bob Myers—the interim head of basketball operations and former Golden State Warriors GM for over 11 seasons—offered a measured response. "Well, I like Daryl. I'm not gonna disparage Daryl here today," Myers said, referring to former executive Daryl Morey. "I think he did a fine job, and I think he's a good person. What I will say is that was a few months ago. Right now, we have the 22nd pick. Our job is to get that right. We have three second-round picks from it. We should be graded on the ultimate result of transactions like that, but I understand."

Myers knows a thing or two about facing criticism over draft moves. "I made draft picks where we got an 'F' right away," he laughed. "10 minutes after the draft! 'F' and I was like, how do they know it's an 'F'? The guy hasn't even played. But your job, and everybody's job, is to react. I totally understand that."

As the Sixers look ahead to the draft and navigate luxury tax concerns, the pressure is on to make the most of those picks and build a roster that can contend. For now, fans will be watching closely to see how this trade—and the team's financial strategy—shapes the future of the franchise.