Lakers News: LeBron James Makes Surprising Pick for a Beloved Current NBA Player

Is this a future teammate?

May 15, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; LeBron James watches his son Bronny James participate in the 2024 NBA Combine. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star combo forward LeBron James recently revealed on his podcast "Mind The Game" that one of his co-host JJ Redick's old Philadelphia 76ers teammates has become one of his favorite active NBA players: now-Indiana Pacers backup point guard TJ McConnell.

Here's the quote, via The Score's Instagram page:

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The 32-year-old went undrafted out of Arizona in 2015, but was quickly scooped up as an underappreciated asset by the "Process"-era Philadelphia 76ers. McConnell overlapped with Redick in Philadelphia from 2017-19. McConnell has been with the Pacers since 2019. The team is set to face off against the Boston Celtics in Indiana's first Eastern Conference Finals berth since 2014.

He's been incredibly clutch for Indiana through the first two rounds of these playoffs. The 6-foot-1 vet is averaging 10.8 points on 48.1 percent shooting from the floor, 5.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals a night.

Next year, McConnell will be in the last season of a very reasonable four-year, $33.6 million deal he inked with the Pacers ahead of the 2021-22 season. It seems highly unlikely he could be poached while still on this contract, as it's still too good (one of the most entertaining backup point guards in the league is making just $8.7 million this year), unless L.A. were to surrender some actual asset, like future draft equity. Short of that, maybe he and James can link up as free agents in 2025...

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