T.J. McConnell 'a lock to return' to Pacers?

The Pacers plan to keep T.J. McConnell on the roster for another season at $3.5M rather than buying out his contract for $1M, a source tells J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. The team hasn’t made an announcement, but Michael reports that McConnell is “a lock to return.”

The 28-year-old point guard signed with Indiana last summer after spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia. His contract included a team option that the Pacers had to exercise before the draft, which has since been moved to November 18.

McConnell isn’t a three-point threat, shooting just 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, but Indiana’s management values his professionalism, hustle and attitude, Michael adds. He appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 6.5 points and 5.0 assists in about 19 minutes per night.

Former coach Nate McMillan regularly used McConnell ahead of Aaron Holiday in the rotation. Their roles going forward will be determined by new coach Nate Bjorkgren.