A major reason that the Indiana Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals was the dominant performance of their bench unit. Now, the leader of that unit is staying in Indiana long-term.
T.J. McConnell averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 assists in 17 playoff games last season, grabbing nearly a steal a game while averaging just 1.2 turnovers. He was a perfect complement to Tyrese Haliburton, especially as the Pacers’ young All-Star played through leg injuries.
In the Pacers’ series-clinching win over the Milwaukee Bucks, McConnell dominated with 20 points off the bench.
The veteran backup joined the Pacers as a free agent in 2019 after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s been a solid fit for the young team, delivering a steadying presence and lots of dimes.
Last season, only Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings had more assists off the bench than McConnell. In the playoffs, McConnell was the only player in NBA history besides Hall of Famer Michael Cooper to average better than 10 points and five assists off the bench.
McConnell effectively gets an 8% raise on his 2024-25 salary of $9.3M, a number that was originally only partially-guaranteed. The new deal, which runs through 2028-29, will take McConnell’s career earnings to around $90M. That’s pretty impressive for a player who was undrafted coming out of college.
This deal makes sure that most of Indiana’s key players are locked up for years. Haliburton is signed through 2029, while forward Pascal Siakam, guard Andrew Nembhard and backup big Obi Toppin are inked through 2027-28. Aaron Nesmith is signed for three more seasons, and young players Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker are still on their rookie contracts.
Only center Myles Turner is on a short-term deal. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but the rest of the Pacers squad is locked up long-term, a smart move by the front office considering that the salary cap is likely to rise 10% each season thanks to the league’s new TV deal.
McConnell’s biggest weakness is his lack of an outside shot, but while he shoots less than one triple a game, he has at least made over 40 percent of those attempts the last two seasons. Indiana seems happy to live with that thanks to everything else he brings to the table, as well as the team’s killer bench.
