Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain suffers UCL tear in right thumb

For much of the offseason, a goal for the Philadelphia 76ers has been to enter training camp and the preseason healthy, beyond Joel Embiid and Paul George, two of their stars with whom health will almost always be an issue.

They made it to the day before media day.

In a workout Thursday, Jared McCain suffered a UCL tear in his right hand, his shooting hand, the team announced. McCain and the team are consulting specialists to determine the best course of action in dealing with the injury for the second-year guard, per the team.

A typical tear of the UCL, which is an injury near the thumb, requires at least six weeks of recovery. If that applies to McCain, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, that would put the preseason and the season-opener against the Boston Celtics in jeopardy for him. It’s a brutal injury for the Sixers as a whole. McCain is arguably their best shooter. He is, without argument, their best player in terms of moving without the basketball. He would have been competing for the starting guard spot next to Tyrese Maxey, and he’s someone the Sixers believe has a chance to be a star in the league.

With Quentin Grimes’ situation still in flux, a backcourt that appeared flush with depth now appears to be in a bit of flux, as Philadelphia heads into training camp this weekend. It opens a runway for rookie guard VJ Edgecombe to compete for a starting spot right away, especially if McCain’s injury is indeed long term.

(Photo: Bill Streicher / USA Today via Imagn Images)