OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain had a busy summer in preparing for the 2026-27 season, which didn't go unnoticed by head coach Mark Daigneault. McCain embraced his Thunder teammates since last season, when he was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers. For Daigneault, it's a testament to hard work, and discipline.

Amidst McCain first Thunder training camp, Daigneault says Jared's approach during the offseason has already paid dividends.

“A great worker. We have a team of great workers and he fits that mold. Very self-sufficient. He’s very driven and motivated. He doesn’t need anybody to wake him up in the morning to get him to work,” Daigneault said. “So, he’s ready to go. Takes his game very seriously. He puts the horsepower to work behind everything he does. Great work ethic. Came in great shape.

“His game looks good. His game looks tight. He knows who he is. And we're excited to get him in camp; missing training camp for a team is valuable time—that's where the foundation is laid for everything. So, we're excited to have him.”

Mark Daigneault says Jared McCain came into camp in great shape, which is a testament to his work ethic: “A great worker. We have a team of great workers and he fits that mold. Very self-efficient.

He’s very driven and motivated. He doesn’t need anybody to wake him up in the… pic.twitter.com/sMjn3HRmcf

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) September 30, 2026

McCain, who averaged 10.4 points on 46.2% shooting, including 39.1% from deep, and 2.1 rebounds for the Thunder, connected on 41.2% of his 3-point attempts throughout the postseason. However, he could be on the verge of demonstrating much more to his game in 2026-27 than efficient shooting.

Sam Presti eager to discover more from Thunder's Jared McCain

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault wasn't the only person predicting a productive training camp for Jared McCain, as GM Sam Presti didn't hold back about it in his preseason press conference last week. Presti is excited to see what a full season of McCain and the Thunder looks like as the 2025 champion Thunder will look to make its second Finals appearance in three seasons.

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Presti believes there's much more to McCain's than a 3-point touch.

“There is a very small collection of people — I mean, really small — that I would have done that with at the trade deadline; he was one of them,” Presti said. “He had the emotional intelligence, in my opinion, to walk into our environment and navigate that. But also, still play with confidence. And I think that's a really unique thing. Those are the rarities, I think, of high performers. One of the most underrated aspects of a player in the modern NBA is their self-awareness as a player, not just as a person.

“A self-aware player is essential to a mid-season acquisition, or really any acquisition of a team that's been together for a while. And Jared has that in an overflowing amount.”

Presti predicted that McCain would thrive in Thunder training camp.

“I think starting with everybody at a baseline in a training camp like this is going to do him well because there's a lot more to him as a player, in my opinion, than just a guy that can come off, and rip off a bunch of threes,” Presti said. “I've watched him for a very long time, and he's a winning player. And he understands the things that drive winning, intangibly, with non-statistically, and I think he's a more balanced player than we got to see because he was trying to figure out how to fit in with the current group.”

McCain could potentially be in line for an increased role with the Thunder this upcoming season.