“It’s really cool to just have them here, to have a home-cooked meal, to have my dog Teddy here. It’s just nice to have a good family vibe,” said Jared McCain in an exclusive episode of Courtside Comparisons pres. by NerdWallet, with Matt Murphy about eight months ago, when discussing having his loved ones with him during his shift to Philadelphia. The NBA star always held his dog, Teddy, close to his heart. He shared updates related to him on social media from time to time. As a result, several of the 76ers’ star’s fans also warmed up to McCain’s adorable companion.

Jared McCain recently took to his official Instagram account to share a post with his 1.9 million followers. The caption “RIP to the goat 🐐 shoutout lil teddy ❤️” was enough to induce tears. It didn’t help that McCain also included a series of pictures of Teddy, either lying with JMac on a bed or a sofa, taking a walk, or simply finding a spot to rest. Throughout most of the pictures, Teddy was adoringly smiling for the camera, clearly enjoying the love and attention his owner was giving him.

Not much is known about Teddy, since McCain chose to keep most details about him and his dog a secret. However, Teddy still often made appearances on the NBA player’s social media pages. McCain used quite a unique way to announce his commitment to the Duke Blue Devils back in 2023 by writing, “5 Star Teddy McCain has committed to the Blue Devils😈” in an IG post. It also contained pictures of the adorable dog on the Blue Devils, probably preparing for a ball to come his way.

Teddy wasn’t just a companion for McCain during his college basketball days, but also during his NBA tenure. It was only earlier this year, back in April, when McCain highlighted an offseason workout video. Teddy, on a leash, was visible on the sidelines. Even though several of the comments in the post wished that McCain was doing well now after his knee issues, comments like “W Teddy” also dominated the conversation.

With the news of the loss of his close companion, McCain is also dealing with speculation about his professional future.

Will Jared McCain be traded?

Back in late July, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley released a list titled ‘Top 10 NBA Trade Chips Right Now’. This wasn’t a list of the top players available, but rather the ones that provide the most realistic bargaining chips that teams can offer. For Buckley, Jared McCain occupied the No. 1 slot.

“Sixers fans might cringe at the suggestion Jared McCain could somehow, someway be feasibly available,” wrote Buckley. “That’s fair. If you believe this current core’s injury issues are too great to overcome, then the idea of dealing a 21-year-old who packed as much high-end potential into a 23-game sample as McCain just did should be a non-starter.”

However, the NBA reporter also said that “Philadelphia may not share that sentiment, though. Not when the healthy version of Joel Embiid remains an MVP challenger. Not when the healthy-ish version of this team should be good enough to contend in the wide-open Eastern Conference.” On top of that, doubts were raised about McCain’s defensive limitations, which wouldn’t be the best long-term fit with Tyrese Maxey.

Jared McCain was, without a doubt, the one bright spot in the Philadelphia 76ers’ abysmal performance last season. Throughout 23 games, he averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He was able to secure this average score despite starting in only 8 games. He was efficient with his shooting, as he averaged 5.5-11.9 (46.0%) field goals, 2.2-5.8 (38.3%) 3-pointers, and 2.1-2.4 (87.5%) free throws. However, for the last few months, rumors have linked that the 76ers are looking to prioritize VJ Edgecombe more.

Edgecombe is an athletic wing who reportedly would do well as a shooting guard. This would create some doubt as to the future for McCain and Quinten Grimes, with McCain being made more prime for a trade owing to his injury troubles. “A McCain trade, while not likely, feels like it has greater than a non-zero chance of happening, so he’ll snag our No. 1 spot by virtue of his ahead-of-schedule efficiency, ignitable scoring and no-hesitation shot-creation, which all add up to significant star potential,” Buckley added.

It was already sad that Jared McCain’s future was a bit doubtful. Losing his dog does not help things. With any hope, the 21-year-old is taking things well and hoping to focus instead on the future.