Despite how talented he has proven to be, T.J. McConnell will not be a fit for the Philadelphia 76ers next year. He should be shopped during the NBA Draft.
The irony of T.J. McConnell getting traded on the night of the NBA Draft would almost be funny. McConnell was never drafted by an NBA team, and over the last two years, has proven to be one of the greater undrafted players from recent memory alongside his teammate Richaun Holmes.
With that in mind, it seems foolish to even consider trading such a surprising talent find for the Philadelphia 76ers, but when draft night comes around, McConnell may prove to be one of the players being shopped around to other teams. There’s a few reasons for that.
Bang for your buck
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McConnell is currently not making a lot of money. Lucky for whatever team he is on for the next few years, they only have to pay him a little over $1 million throughout the course of the season, and have a team option in the final year of his contract (2018-19). $1 million on a salary cap nearing $100 million is chump change for an NBA team, even the Sixers. And the performance McConnell puts out is worth more like $10-15 million, if he can keep up what he was able to do this season.
McConnell has his flaws, of course, but he’s working on them, and clearly working hard. You won’t find a more talented point guard in the NBA for the price you pay for him.
A decent add-on to upgrade a pick
The Sixers have incentive to try to move McConnell if they are trying to upgrade a pick, or even add a pick in the late first round. We don’t know at this point where the Sixers will be picking, but if it’s somewhere like fourth overall, they may want to move up via a trade, and McConnell could be a piece involved in a trade to move up to first or second overall.
More would have to be included, of course, but the throw-in of McConnell could take a deal for a better pick from being a definitive no to a possibility with the Sixers.
High ceiling, and incredibly durable
The biggest thing with McConnell is his year-to-year improvement. He was good in his rookie season, but even better in his sophomore year. If he is able to improve even more in his third season, there’s no telling how good he can be.
Additionally, durability is becoming more and more attractive in today’s NBA. Players are getting hurt all the time, so having a reliable player is always a plus. McConnell has missed just two games total in his first two seasons, a rarity in the NBA.
Why would the Sixers give up such a good, cheap talent?
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. If I’m complimenting McConnell on nearly every aspect of him as a contract, a player, and a person, why would the Sixers want to give that up? I’m with you, McConnell is one of my favorite players, and I’ve written in the past that the Sixers need to do everything in their power to keep him around.
Things change, though, and we saw something clear this season — McConnell is not good as a reserve. Unfortunately, for him to be effective, he really needs significant minutes.
Prior to being named the starter this season, McConnell was averaging 4.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game in 19.9 minutes of play. He was shooting 43.1 percent from the field, and 18.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Since being named a starter, McConnell is averaging 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game in 30.6 minutes per game. He has shot 47.3 percent from the field, and 20.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Per 36 minutes, he increased his points from 7.6 to 10.1, his rebounds stayed steady at 4.2, and increased his assists from 8.5 to 9.3. His efficiency and his shooting went up when he was given more minutes. I understand that being named a starter boosts confidence, but it’s clear that McConnell is not quite effective when he’s just a role player.
Unfortunately, next season, there is no situation where McConnell is not a role player. All signs point to Ben Simmons running point, with whatever guard the Sixers draft behind him, and Jerryd Bayless potentially being somewhere in the mix. In an instant, McConnell will go from being the team’s first option at point guard to the third option, and that will hurt his game immensely.
The value of McConnell may never be as high as right now, with the Sixers having the minutes to allow him to put on a show this season. They need to take advantage of that and attempt to trade him.
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It won’t be a huge bummer if he’s tucked on the end of the bench all year because of how cheap his contract is, but it would still be a disappointing thing nonetheless. If he’s still around next year, when we’re watching him play 10-15 minutes per game, we’re going to be disappointed the team didn’t trade him when his value was high. Teams want his services, and the Sixers won’t need him, nor have the time to offer him next year.
Here’s hoping that if the Sixers do trade him, McConnell can find success elsewhere in the league.