Pacers’ McConnell signs 4-year extension

The Indiana Pacers took another step in keeping their team together for the immediate future.
Veteran guard T.J. McConnell and the Pacers have agreed to a four-year, $45 million extension, his agents told multiple outlets on Friday. McConnell averaged a career-best 10.2 points per game last season as well as 5.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game as Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers have been busy in the offseason, inking star forward Pascal Siakam to a four-year, $189.5 million max deal, forward Obi Toppin to a four-year deal and swingman Andrew Nembhard to a three-year extension as well. Last summer, the team inked All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a five-year, $260 million extension and of its core players, only center Myles Turner is facing free agency in 2025.
McConnell was particularly valuable to the Pacers in the playoffs, when Haliburton battled injuries at times. He posted 11.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 5.1 apg while shooting 48.6% overall and was strong in the Pacers’ Game 7 win at Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference semifinals. As a reserve in that game, he posted 12 points, seven assists and shot 6-for-8 to help fuel Indiana’s victory.
Overall, McConnell’s scoring average improved each month in 2023-24, going from 6 ppg in October to 6.8 in November to 7.8 in December to 9.1 in January to 10.2 in February to 13.7 in March to 15.1 in April.
A Western Pennsylvania native who played college basketball at Duquesne and Arizona, McConnell has spent nine years in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and Pacers since making his debut in October 2015. He signed with the Sixers after going undrafted that year and joined the Pacers as a free agent in 2019.