T.J. McConnell is staying put.
The veteran guard agreed to a four-year, $45 million extension with the Indiana Pacers, a league supply confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. ESPN first reported the deal.
McConnell, one of many prime backup level guards within the NBA, was getting into the ultimate season of a four-year, $33.6 million contract he signed with the Pacers in August 2021. The 32-year-old is now below contract by way of the 2028-29 season, bringing the overall worth of his present contract to $54 million over the subsequent 5 seasons.
Congrats to @TJMcConnell on his multi-year extension with the @Pacers! His unimaginable story continues in Indy. pic.twitter.com/TjrLZTQeoc
— Precedence Sports activities (@PrioritySports) August 30, 2024
Indiana rewarded McConnell after arguably his greatest NBA season, which helped catapult the Pacers into the Jap Convention Finals for the primary time in a decade. McConnell averaged a career-high 10.2 factors, shot 55.6 % from the sphere and posted 5.5 assists in simply over 18.2 minutes per recreation through the common season.
The 6-foot-1 guard, who went undrafted in 2015, continued to be a spark plug for Indiana within the postseason. McConnell averaged a playoff career-high 11.8 factors and 5.1 assists per recreation, highlighted by a 23-point, nine-rebound and six-assist efficiency in a slender loss to the Boston Celtics in Sport 3 of the Jap Convention Finals.
McConnell’s extension is the most recent transfer in a busy summer season for the Pacers, who prolonged Andrew Nembhard and retained Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin in free company.
Jap Convention outlook
After an underdog run to the Jap Convention Finals final 12 months, Indiana will attempt to set up itself as a perennial contender in 2024-25. The Pacers’ quest to take action gained’t be straightforward with the Celtics’ core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown being within the prime of their careers, the Philadelphia 76ers touchdown Paul George in free company, the New York Knicks buying and selling for Mikal Bridges and the Milwaukee Bucks hoping for a more healthy celebrity duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
To not point out Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, in addition to Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic, having one thing to say.
McConnell’s extension, which is able to see him flip 37 within the closing 12 months, proves Indiana is keen to wager on itself anyway, even on the expense of paying a probable past-his-prime McConnell handsomely down the road. The Pacers’ entrance workplace believes McConnell’s fearless and galvanizing model of play, coupled with All-NBA level guard Tyrese Haliburton main the way in which, is price it as Indiana tries to capitalize on its present window.
“I don’t know what you may say extra about T.J. (and) what he has meant to this staff,” Indiana normal supervisor Chad Buchanan stated in March. “Beloved by his teammates, his coaches, the workers, the followers – he’s what you need an Indiana Pacer to be about. This season, he’s 32 years previous, however he’s not slowing down. I don’t suppose you see any signal of an growing older participant.”
The Pacers haven’t made consecutive Jap Convention Finals appearances since George, who final performed for Indiana in 2017, was the franchise cornerstone. In the event that they plan to vary that in 2024-25, McConnell will probably be a catalyst and even perhaps a Sixth Man of the 12 months candidate.
“His worth to us is clearly very, very excessive,” Buchanan continued. “That has not modified by something that occurred this 12 months, and I hope that he’s with us for a really very long time.”
Required studying
(Picture: Elsa / Getty Pictures)
