The Indiana Pacers have re-signed backup point guard TJ McConnell to a four-year, $45 million deal, according to Adrien WojnarowskiThat would bring the total earnings on his most likely NBA contract to $54 million and five years.
McConnell has been a backup point guard throughout his career, having previously played for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2015 to 2019. Over the course of his career, McConnell averaged 7.5 points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal per game.
With stats like that, it might seem odd to get such a big extension. What it doesn’t show is the intangibles McConnell brings to the table. He’s a great perimeter defender, and his playoff performance last year was insane.
In the first round against Milwaukee, McConnell scored 20 points and had nine assists in their final game, which helped the Pacers advance to the second round. In the second round against the Knicks, McConnell did some serious work. Averaging just over 13 points per game, McConnell had two double-doubles and five games with 10 or more points. He is a spark plug as a backup and can really do wonders for the Pacers offense.
McConnell will be a substitute again this year, but his efforts will not go unnoticed.
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