76ers Upgrade Jared McCain To Probable Against Bulls

The Philadelphia 76ers upgraded Jared McCain to probable for Tuesday’s game in Chicago against the Bulls, paving the way for the second-year guard to make his season debut.

Jared McCain Suffered UCL Tear In September

McCain has not played yet this season after suffering a UCL tear in his right thumb in late September. He appeared in 23 games (eight starts) last season and led all rookies with an average of 15.3 points.

The 21-year-old hasn’t played in an NBA game since last December, when his first year was cut short after he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain will be probable to play tomorrow night against the Chicago Bulls, sources told ESPN.

McCain will be in line to make his season debut after suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb in September prior to the start of training camp.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 3, 2025

Last season, McCain also set an NBA rookie record by making at least three 3s in eight consecutive games in November when he scored 20 or more points in seven straight games.

In addition, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 25.7 minutes while shooting 46% from the field and finishing fourth among rookies with a 3-point percentage of 38.3%.

McCain To Join Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe

Now that he’s healthy, 76ers coach Nick Nurse intends to add McCain to a backcourt group that includes All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, who was just named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers’ No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft who’s already averaging 20 points per game on 49% shooting.

“Inserting him in with the VJ, Tyrese [Maxey] and [Quentin Grimes guard] group is the plan,” Nurse said of how he wants to use McCain. “That was sort of the plan going into the season. Again, I think they all can do a variety of things, and give us a chance to have some more depth.

“Gives us a chance to, again, play some shorter stints so the energy can stay high and all those things. We need him back. We look forward to having him back.”

Last month, the Sixers exercised their third-year contract option on McCain. The move keeps the Duke product under contract with the team through the 2026-27 season.

76ers Have Come Out Strong

After a disappointing 2-12 start to open last season, the 76ers have been one of the NBA’s most surprising teams early on this campaign.

The Sixers and Bulls both enter Tuesday’s game at 5-1, tied for the best record in the East and with the San Antonio Spurs for the second-best mark in the NBA, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0).

Philadelphia hasn’t played in the NBA Finals or Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, and the team has lost seven times in the conference semifinals this century.

If the 76ers want to get over that hurdle, they need a healthy roster this season.

Joel Embiid, in particular, has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his NBA career.

He played in just 39 games during the 2023-24 campaign and suffered a torn lateral meniscus that lingered into last season, limiting him to only 19 games.

Last season, Embiid averaged 23.8 points per game, his fewest since the 2019-20 season, and 8.2 rebounds, the 7-footer’s fewest since his rookie year in 2016-17.