It was a roller-coaster season for T.J. McConnell. He started out the year not in the Pacers' rotation plans. Rick Carlisle said it was a really tough conversation to have. Then there were some injuries and McConnell re-inserted his way back into the rotation. Soon enough, he was too good to keep out of the lineup.
McConnell went from DNP-CD to the most important member of the bench. He had the best season of his career, averaging over 10 points per game on almost 56% shooting and 41% shooting from three. He also had 5.5 assists per game as well.
In the playoffs, McConnell was even more valuable. He came in and changed the tempo in several games and really kept the Pacers in games against the Celtics with his tricky shot-making. With him playing so well, Indiana has a very tough decision to make this offseason.
The Pacers should think about selling high on T.J. McConnell in the offseason
Chad Buchannan made it clear that he wants to keep McConnell for the rest of his career. He's a valuable leader and is still quite good. At the same time, he was in demand this season by other teams and will only be more in demand this offseason. Teams will pay assets for him.
At the very least, the Pacers should look around the NBA and see what the market is for McConnell. If they get a good offer for him, especially one that nets them a desirable defensive wing, they have to seriously consider selling high on him. He's not getting any younger and he's relatively cheap right now.
It would be smart to make some calls to see what teams would offer for him. If they don't like anything, keep him and extend him. Not only is he a good player, but he clearly has a voice of leadership in the locker room. That's extremely valuable to have for a team that is still relatively young.
McConnell is a fan-favorite. Pacers fans love watching him play. His effort is second to none and what he can do with the ball in his hands is very impressive.