TJ McConnell is the longest-tenured Indiana Pacer. He was here for the Victor Oladipo breakout season. He was here for the questions of fit surrounding the pairing of Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. He was here for Nate McMillan and Nate Bjorkgren.
McConnell has seen it all in Indiana. He has stuck around even when the team was middling and lost in no man's land. He deserves all the praise that Pacers fans heap upon him, as a team leader and as a player.
However, the now 34-year-old diminutive guard is coming into the year on a 15 million per year deal. At that number, he could be flipped for additional shooting while finding another option at backup point guard.
The question then becomes what TJ McConnell is worth to another team. Additionally, is he worth more to the Pacers than what they would get in return?
The answer is likely an unsatisfying one. The Pacers would miss McConnell, and the league consensus on him is likely not worth the proverbial squeeze, but it's worth exploring anyway.
With the Pacers seeking to get back into contention, what is the move to be made?
All due respect to the Pacers legend, but if anyone is moved, it should likely be him.
Hard moves are often the most important to contenders
It would truly be incredibly hard to see McConnell go. He feels like a Pacers lifer despite his spending many years as a member of the Process Philadelphia 76ers.
Even more importantly, the Pacers do not have a good replacement on the roster. Braden Smith may not even be an NBA player, so he is certainly not ready for a rotation spot on a team with big expectations. Quenton Jackson was decent in short minutes last year, but also cannot be relied upon.
Even knowing all of that, it's hard to look at the Pacers' cap table and not expect either McConnell or Obi Toppin to be the only movable pieces if Indiana feels it needs to make a move.
Both players make somewhere in the mid-teens (in millions) per year, and both are vaguely superfluous and poorly fitting for the general roster.
Obi Toppin at least has youth going his way. The Pacers have his replacement already on the roster in Jarace Walker, but nothing feels quite good.
It's exactly for that reason that it has to be McConnell to be moved. He is a 34-year-old 6'0 guard. He is not exactly the archetype of player to be the model of longevity.
Finding a way to break TJ into two smaller rotation pieces, alongside some pick equity, would give the Pacers the flexibility they would need if they were to pivot out of their current core.
It's a heartbreaking move, but one that may be necessary. McConnell provides some important skills, but he is also a tiny player pushing 35 without the ability to hit outside shots at a consistent rate. He is functionally a unicorn by nature of lasting this long, but that's not enough.
The Pacers need to be aggressive, no matter how much it hurts.
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