Philadelphia 76ers: T.J. McConnell’s time might have finally run out

A fan favorite, forever and always, T.J. McConnell’s days of playing time with the Philadelphia 76ers might finally be up.

It’s been a long, impressive journey for T.J. McConnell. A standout at Arizona, most pundits wrote him off as an NBA prospect. He was small, a non-athlete and, to most scouts, insignificant. Now, just four years after going undrafted and earning a spot on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ training camp roster, McConnell is a free agent.

McConnell played 81 games as a rookie and has been a staple in the Sixers’ rotation for the past four seasons, playing 81, 81, 76 and 76 games. He started 51 games his second season and averaged 19.3 minutes per game this season despite Philadelphia’s title intentions.

Much was made about McConnell’s lack of productivity in 2018-19, but he deserves credit. McConnell has been one of Brett Brown’s most reliable players since the mid-Process years. He’s someone Brown trusts, and rightfully so.

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The Sixers lacked viable playmakers for much of the rebuild. Even over the last two seasons, with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons wreaking havoc, the Sixers’ halfcourt shot creation was minimal at best. Until the Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris trades, at least.

Elton Brand and the front office made two bold moves last season, adding two All-Star caliber pieces and launching the Sixers to legitimate title contention for the first time since 2001. The postseason ended early — a crushing Game 7 loss to the conference-champion Raptors in the second round — but Philadelphia was a bounce away from a potential Finals visit.

With that success has come necessary changes. Necessary evils. McConnell was cast out of the postseason rotation entirely, with Brown instead using Butler as the primary initiator when Ben Simmons sat. It was a smart, even obvious move. McConnell just doesn’t cut it in the playoffs.

It’s an odd statement, especially after McConnell single-handedly willed the Sixers to a Game 5 win against Boston in the 2018 playoffs. But T.J.’s small stature, limited athleticism and non-shooting makes him far too limited to see legitimate postseason minutes. Especially against good teams.

The Sixers were able to rely on McConnell as the only savvy ball handler and playmaker during bad seasons. He was also the Sixers’ only source of dribble penetration in the second unit in 2018, before Butler was brought on board.

In the past, Brown relied on McConnell out of trust. That’s very much true. But it was also out of necessitation. Born from the Sixers’ desperate lack of NBA-level playmaking in the second unit, something that wasn’t addressed until November, then built on further at the trade deadline.

McConnell has gritted his way to icon status in the Process era. He’s someone Sixers fans will remember for a long time, both for his on-court hustle and his off-court personality. He’s an obvious glue guy in Brown’s tight-knit culture.

But the Sixers have evolved beyond McConnell’s on-court abilities. His basic dribble penetration is no longer a necessity, in turn rendering his weaknesses too glaring to look past. He’s a defensive liability and compresses the Sixers’ already-suspect floor spacing. Brown simply can’t afford to give him minutes anymore. Especially not in important games.

There’s a chance Philadelphia loses Butler and Harris this summer, but it feels unlikely. At least one is bound to return. The Sixers should (and will) pursue other reserves as well. Brand’s top priority outside running it back should be upgrading the bench wherever possible.

It’s difficult to envision a path forward for McConnell in Philadelphia. He might have value as an end-of-bench celebrator and key locker room presence, which is fine. The Sixers can re-sign him on a minimum deal and keep him around with few consequences. He has earned that much respect.

When it comes to offering McConnell a real, tangible role, however, the Sixers can no longer afford to do so. His 6.4 points, 3.4 assists and 0.6 three-point attempts per game are no longer sufficient. That might mean letting McConnell walk for a bigger role on another team.