Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain has a torn meniscus in his left knee that needs surgery and will be out for an uncertain amount of time.
McCain, who has been a bright spot for the struggling Sixers early in the season, felt pain in his left knee after the team’s 121-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
The team said that an MRI on Saturday revealed a lateral meniscus tear in McCain’s left knee, which will require surgery.
McCain, who was selected 16th overall in the draft out of Duke, is currently the top scorer among rookies this season, averaging 15.3 points through the first 23 games. He is also averaging 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. In the game against the Pacers, McCain scored five points and had three assists in 29 minutes of play.
On the same night against Indiana, Sixers center Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture while going for a rebound late in the first half. Embiid, who had 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 17 and a half minutes, will be evaluated further over the weekend.
This was only Embiid’s sixth game out of the 23 games played so far. He has been dealing with swelling in his left knee and also missed three games due to a suspension for physical contact with a reporter.
Injuries to the Sixers’ star players Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George—who were expected to form the team’s “Big Three” after George’s arrival in the offseason—have caused the trio to play together for only parts of three games. Because of this, the Sixers have had a rough start to the season, with a 7-16 record.
Despite these challenges, McCain has been one of the few positive performers for the team. He scored a career-high 34 points in a loss to Cleveland in mid-November and has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season.
