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While the Pacers continue to be mentioned as a potential destination for Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, there is a player on their roster who is now the subject of trade rumors of his own.
T.J McConnell, the Pacers back-up point guard who has been on the team since 2019, has been rumored to be a potential target of the Pheonix Suns. The Suns are reportedly continuing to explore trade options for Cam Payne, and McConnell could be a player involved in a potential deal.
For McConnell, a trade could be a positive move for his career. It might be hard for McConnell to get playing time this year, with the growth of Andrew Nembhard, among others, being a primary culprit. Nembhard figures to be the primary back-up point guard in the upcoming season, a role that McConnell has filled in past seasons.
During the 2022-23 NBA season, McConnell appeared in 75 games, starting 6. He averaged 20.4 minutes, 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 54.3% on field goals, 44.1% from beyond the arc, and made 85.3% of his free throw attempts.
McConnell has proven to be a solid back-up point guard, and a good locker room presence. He can certainly contribute coming off the bench, but unfortunately for his career here in Indiana, the presence of young, up-and-coming players means there may not be enough minutes to go around.
During Thursday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Jake Fischer, lead NBA reporter for Yahoo Sports. Jake reported on the Suns potential interest in McConnell; he and John discuss that, if there is any word on teams being interested in Buddy Hield, as well as the Pacers potential interest in Pascal Siakam. Listen to that conversation and more below, and tune into The Ride With JMV from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
