The trade shocked Jared McCain as much as anyone ... but he's been nails for Oklahoma City so far

The Jake Fischer Latest features revealing sentiments from the former Philadelphia sensation about the deal that shipped him to the Thunder last month

TORONTO — The history of the NBA trade deadline is filled with tales of players ambling onto the team bus, focused on that night’s game in Road City USA, only to be informed of a transaction that immediately forces them to head elsewhere as part of the ongoing traveling circus that is #thisleague.

One such scene will always stick with me: In February 2015, before that season’s trade buzzer sounded, player after player on the Phoenix Suns found out they were suddenly being asked to leave town while the team bus was still idling. Goran Dragic to Miami, Isaiah Thomas to Phoenix, Mason Plumlee to Indiana ... all of them had to say their goodbyes to teammates and promptly deboard so they could depart for a new chapter.

This season’s deadline delivered yet another chapter for this particular book. On Feb. 5, Jared McCain climbed the steps onto the Philadelphia 76ers’ bus as he had during every other previous road trip in his season-and-a-half as a Sixer. He had not heard his name circulating on the NBA rumor mill. Neither had his representatives. Neither, we regrettably must admit, had either of your trusty trade-trackers who cover the deadline so doggedly for The Stein Line. The word making the rounds about the Sixers was that Daryl Morey's group wasn't sure if the current team was close enough to true contention in the East to warrant a significant midseason trade splurge … and there were indeed some rumblings about potential moves to shed salary and reduce Philadelphia's luxury tax obligations. But nothing involving McCain.

And with good reason. Rarely do teams pursue such goals by parting with a promising prospect who still has years (with an s) left on a rookie scale contract.

Then McCain’s phone rang.