Indiana Pacers GM says team would 'hate to lose' guard T.J. McConnell, praises his strong season

McConnell had a great ninth season

Oct 30, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball against Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — T.J. McConnell had a great 2023-24 season for the Indiana Pacers, and it appears now that the team wants to keep him around for a while.

McConell, 32, just wrapped up possibly the best season of his career. He averaged 10.2 points per game, a career high, and his points per minute number was by far his best ever. His assist per minute figure was a career best, too, as McConnell made it happen with the ball almost every time he touched it. He was terrific.

That doesn't even account for his strong defense or locker room leadership. McConnell was a key piece for the blue and gold this past season and landed in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting as a result.

Now, the veteran guard enters an interesting offseason. He has a $9.3 million contract for next season, but only $5 million is guaranteed. Indiana could save some money by waiving the nine-year veteran. However, there is little benefit to doing so — McConnell is easily worth his contract anyway, and there is no better use of $4.3 million in savings than a premier bench talent.

Instead, the more interesting financial factor for the blue and gold is a possible extension for McConnell. He is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to nearly $80 million, depending on where the estimated average salary lands in 2024-25. He may be worth a larger contract, but at his age and role, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what his future contract status should be.

Regardless of the specifics, comments from Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan seem to suggest that McConnell may have a future with Indiana. During an interview on 107.5 The Fan's program The Ride With JMV, Buchanan acknowledged that the Pacers would be happy having McConnell for the rest of his career.

"I think everybody saw his value throughout the year, over the last few years. But to see it really shine in the playoffs was something I think was a big goal for T.J., and he accomplished that this year," the general manager said of McConnell. "We understand his value to us. Our coaches, everybody in that locker room does. You want to create an opportunity for him."

Then, he added more. "To have him here long term, we'd love to keep T.J. as a Pacer for life. The business part eventually comes into play for everybody, but would hate to lose that guy," Buchanan said.

The interview took place on May 29, just one day after Indiana held exit interviews. During the GM's exit interview, he discussed his thoughts on McConnell's season and long-term outlook.

"Phenomenal year for T.J.," he said. "I don't know what you can say more about T.J., what he has meant to this team. Beloved by his teammates, his coaches, the staff, the fans. He's what you want an Indiana Pacer to be about. This season, he's 32-years old, but he's not slowing down."

Buchanan was impressed by the veteran guard's campaign, which started with a reserve role that featured little playing time and ended with a critical job in the postseason. McConnell has a competitive drive and is still effective on the biggest stages.

"His value to us is obviously very, very high," Buchanan said of McConnell. "And that is not changed by anything that happened this year. Hope he's with us for a long time as well."

McConnell turns 33 next March and will be extension eligible during the entire 2023-24 NBA season. He averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 assists per game across Indiana's final 19 games after reserve guard Bennedict Mathurin went down with a season-ending shoulder injury.

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