When it comes to injuries, the Philadelphia 76ers have rarely been considered one of the healthier teams in the NBA over the past few years. While Joel Embiid and Paul George are still recovering from knee injuries, the Sixers did receive positive news on Jared McCain, their 2024 first-round pick.
According to Dan Gelston of the Associated Press, McCain said he was on pace to return to basketball activities by the start of the Sixers’ training camp next month.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain said his plan “for sure” was to return to play in training camp after his promising rookie season was cut short because of a torn meniscus,” Gelston wrote. “‘Right now, I’m on pace,‘ McCain said Tuesday.”
McCain played in just 23 games for Philadelphia last season before suffering a torn meniscus in December. Through that span, he was a top favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 46% shooting.
McCain Preparing For A Return
The 21-year-old out of Duke had a strong start to his NBA career on a Sixers team in flux. While Embiid and George missed major time last year, McCain, alongside Tyrese Maxey, created a strong young backcourt duo for Philadelphia.
McCain did win Rookie of the Month in November, but after his meniscus tear and subsequent surgery, he was ruled out for the rest of the season and therefore ineligible for any end-of-season awards. Though he appeared in just 23 regular-season games, McCain’s 15.3 points per game was the most by any first-year player, even ahead of the eventual winner, Stephon Castle and his 14.7 points per night.
Though he hasn’t played in more than eight months, McCain said he feels ready to get back to on-court action, in hopes of picking up where he was before the season-ending injury.
“I’m getting on the court more, just excited to finally be free and actually get some work in and play some basketball,” McCain said.
Sixers’ Offseason And Future
A McCain return would come as a great help for this Sixers team, which missed the playoffs and had a 5-31 stretch during last season. Embiid and George played a total of 60 games, while Maxey also missed more than a third of the regular season.
If they can get all three healthy with McCain, the Sixers have a strong lineup that can compete in the East, but the question remains whether that will ever happen.
In August, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse gave a positive update on Embiid, but said there is still no definite timeline for a return.
“All the news is positive,” Nurse told Brian T. Smith of talkSPORT. “I know he’s working very, very hard, and I think things look good. Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, I think there’s maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there.”
While the organization has dealt with numerous long-term injuries over the past few years, the Sixers made a big offseason addition in the form of the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, V.J. Edgecombe. He was a top prospect and scorer in college, arriving in Philadelphia in hopes of adding to their young backcourt depth.
While it remains rather unknown as to the return of Embiid and George, McCain’s update is a positive for a team that had its worst record since 2017 last season. The former Duke Blue Devil said he has yet to fully discuss his status with the team, but a return looks to be in the cards.
“I still haven’t talked to them if I’m free for everything,” McCain said. “But I’m definitely getting there.”
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