Sorry for the delay on this post but good news is good news, whenever it comes. TJ McConnell is here to stay. According to Woj, the veteran guard inked an extension with the team to the tune of four years, $45 million.

The move is interesting because it basically confirms what we already knew, which is that the Pacers plan on running it back (more or less) next year. Without an extension, McConnell would have been involved in a lot of trade discussions this coming season. However, now he is ineligible to be traded until the '25 offseason and we can rest assured that his leadership and won't be leaving the building any time soon.

You can't really say enough about the impact TJ has made on the locker room since his arrival in Indy five years ago. He's not only the team's most vocal leader, but his relentlessness sets an example for his teammates on the court as well.

The financial implications of keeping him around for four more years, at which point he'll be 37, are a testament to how highly the Pacers' brass regards McConnell. The Luxury Tax will be an ever present obstacle in the coming years and tying up flexibility in a player of that age is not insignificant. Still, his extension will mean that his contract is below the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception and, from a value standpoint, you can't argue that the team will be getting its money's worth.

I can't imagine anybody who follows the Pacers is anything but ecstatic right now. If anyone deserves to be rewarded, it's TJ.

Tagged in:

FA News