Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell has become a crucial X-factor in this year’s NBA Playoffs.
As the backup to All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton, McConnell’s tenacious and intelligent play has made him a standout during the Pacers’ impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although McConnell didn’t start in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics due to Haliburton’s injury, he delivered one of his career-best performances. The University of Arizona alum and nine-year NBA veteran scored 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out six assists in 29 minutes, despite the Pacers’ narrow 114-111 loss, leaving them trailing 3-0 in the series.
The Phoenix Suns have long shown interest in McConnell, who has averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 assists over 16 postseason games. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Suns’ interest was particularly strong this season.
“He has one year left on his contract after this season, with a salary that league executives find attractive for one of the best reserves in the league,” Fischer noted. “His valuable contract and relentless energy notably drew trade inquiries from the Suns throughout the past season, according to league sources.”
Instead of acquiring McConnell, the Suns traded for Royce O’Neale and David Roddy at the deadline, sending Jordan Goodwin, Chimezie Metu, Keita Bates-Diop, Yuta Watanabe, three second-round picks, and a pick swap to the Brooklyn Nets.
From a financial perspective, the trade could have included McConnell, who earned $8.7 million this season, comparable to O’Neale’s $9.3 million salary in the final year of his four-year deal.
The Pacers chose to keep McConnell, whose performance has been instrumental in helping Indiana reach their first conference finals in a decade. Meanwhile, the Suns were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
McConnell’s impact on the court is evident to any Pacers fan, and his presence off the bench could have filled a significant void for the Suns. He could have been the point guard they ultimately lacked.
Who’s giving TJ McConnell the max? pic.twitter.com/ZypOBWPs7q
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 26, 2024
The Pacers recognized T.J. McConnell’s value, which has significantly benefited them in the playoffs.
Recently, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey highlighted McConnell as an ideal target for the Suns this offseason. Bailey noted, “The Suns are heavily leveraged right now, but they possess some movable first-rounders and have previously shown interest in former Arizona Wildcat T.J. McConnell. While McConnell may not be as strong defensively as Kris Dunn, he excels as a distributor and shooter.”
McConnell is set to earn $9.3 million next season, with only $5 million guaranteed. However, his contract becomes fully guaranteed if he isn’t waived by June 28, the day after the 2024 draft, according to HoopsHype. Given his impressive playoff performance, the Pacers are likely to retain him.
The Suns face a challenging financial situation with all starters under contract for next season and a projected payroll of $209 million, making them the NBA’s highest-paid team. This places them over the second-tax apron, estimated at $190 million, restricting their ability to sign free agents beyond veteran-minimum contracts and complicating trade flexibility. They won’t be able to absorb more salary than they trade away, include cash in deals, aggregate contracts, or use preexisting trade exceptions.
Given these constraints, a feasible trade for the Suns could involve Jusuf Nurkić, who has an $18.1 million salary for the 2024-25 season. They might offer Nurkić and a first-round pick for McConnell and other assets. The Suns can trade this year’s No. 22 overall pick and their 2031 first-round pick on draft day, June 26.
From an observational standpoint, McConnell seems to address many of the Suns’ weaknesses this past season.
