A report published earlier in the offseason suggested that the Phoenix Suns have interest in acquiring Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell via trade. According to a more recent report from Marc Stein of The Stein Line, that is still the case even after a few moves made by the Suns.
"The Suns remain interested in trading for Indiana's T.J. McConnell, league sources say," Stein wrote.
The Suns need guard depth, and McConnell could be on the outside of the Pacers rotation this coming season depending on how the team distributes minutes. It makes sense why Phoenix, who has spent a ton of money this summer, would want the veteran guard.
But nine days ago, the Suns traded guard Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs to save some money. Doing so makes a McConnell trade much more difficult for the team from the valley as matching salary will be harder to come up with on Phoenix's end. Now, a Suns trade for McConnell feels nearly impossible until the regular season, barring a much bigger move.
McConnell could be dealt elsewhere, of course. But according to Stein, that is not his desire.
"Word is McConnell, furthermore, is hopeful of staying with the Pacers," Stein reported. McConnell has been with the Pacers for the last four seasons, exactly half of his career.
Given how Indiana's offseason has gone, keeping McConnell may not be a bad thing even if he doesn't play much for the team this coming year. George Hill and James Johnson are still free agents, and they were key veterans for the blue and gold last season. If neither of them return, McConnell will be one of the team's best locker room voices.
"He's a very selfless guy and he looks to put others first," Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard said of McConnell last year. "He's always been trying to help me in any way, on and off the court, just to feel comfortable."
McConnell is coming off of a career year. He averaged 8.7 points (a career high) and 5.3 assists per game, and he did it with a career-best 59% true shooting percentage. He added a jumper to his game and looked effective in most of his minutes.
With Nembhard ascending and many other young guards in the mix for minutes, it may be hard to get McConnell a ton of playing time next year. But he is still a solid player who would provide depth at one of the most important positions, and he is a great leader. Even if he plays less, the Pacers should be happy to have him
According to Stein, that feeling goes both ways. While it would make sense for the blue and gold to at least gauge McConnell's trade market, it might be hard to find a deal for him this late in the offseason. The Pacers roster currently has 18 players — with three of them on two-way contracts. They might be done making moves for a while.
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