Part of the reason why the Indiana Pacers were able to make the Eastern Conference Finals was because of their bench. The bench was the highest-scoring bench in the NBA during the regular season and that continued into the postseason. It's a valuable part of their identity.
The clear leader of the bench unit is T.J. McConnell. McConnell started out the season as a CD-DNP for reasons that remain unclear. Once it was clear that he was too good to sit, he played the best basketball of his career. He had a career-high in points, averaging 10.1.
Once the playoffs rolled around, he continued his high level of play. He upped his scoring average to 11.8 and controlled the tempo of several playoff games. He played so well that the Pacers' GM said he wants to keep McConnell in Indiana for the rest of his career.
How much will the Indiana Pacers have to pay T.J. McConnell in an extension?
McConnell is due for an extension as he enters the last year of his contract. He's slated to make $9.3 million next season, although that money is not guaranteed yet. I'm sure that will change. What kind of money will he command for the Pacers in an extension?
My guess is that they will try for something in the range of three years for $30 million with a descending contract. He's already 32 years old right now, so his play is only going to decline moving forward. Still, he's a valuable locker-room presence and will likely still play at a high level next season.
That seems like a fair contract for both sides. It would obviously be a win for the Pacers if they can get him for a little less than that, especially with the other contracts they have to pay. Indiana still has to try to make some moves to improve the ceiling of the team though.
A contract like the one described above is also very tradable. That could help the Pacers if they are trying to acquire a third star to join Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they move McConnell.