Sixers Spurn Cleveland Cavaliers Offer for TJ McConnell

By Chuck Booth | Jan 29, 2017

Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard T.J. McConnell (1) celebrates with center Joel Embiid (21) after his game winning shot against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

What a world we live in today where the Sixers are relevant again and TJ McConnell is a large part of their success.

If you told me at the beginning of the year that a team would offer a useful piece for Sixers point guard TJ McConnell I would’ve called you crazy and said take the deal and don’t look back. That world would also be one where McConnell didn’t beat out Sergio Rodriguez and where his assists and clutch buckets aren’t the catalysts for sixers wins. Well, according to reports, the Sixers were offered a deal for McConnell and they said thanks but no thanks.

McConnell is in the midst of a breakout sophomore season for the Sixers having taken the opportunities given to him thanks to injuries and run with it. He’s averaging 5.8 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, and 2.8 rebounds per game. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, they’re very useful for the 76ers and they would also be useful to another team.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Cavaliers sought a trade for T.J. McConnell to fill their need for a backup point guard. It’s unknown if this inquiry is in direct response to Lebron James’ comments that the team needs more playmakers but the timing of this is peculiar. McConnell’s slick passing and defensive awareness would help the Cavs but he’s most intriguing because of his contract.

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McConnell will make $874,636 this season. The Sixers also have team options for a little over $1 million in each of the next two seasons so if he does well the Cavs could keep him, otherwise, it’s very easy to move on. For the Sixer’s they’re 10-4 with McConnell as the starter and Brett Brown has no interest in trading him and for good reason. Quite the change of fate for the guy who joined the team as an undrafted rookie out of Arizona.

Pompey states that the Cavs wanted to send Jordan McRae back to Philadelphia so it’s no wonder why the Sixers nixed this before it got going. McRae couldn’t make this team before the season so there isn’t really a place for him at the moment.

When asked about the rumors, McConnell said,

“The best thing for me is to just not pay any attention to it,” McConnell said Sunday of trade discussions. “If you go looking for it, you are going to find it. And if you don’t, it won’t find you.”

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It’s the best view that McConnell can take of the situation especially since his name may come up a few more times between now and the trade deadline on February 23rd. A lot may happen between now and then but this shows that members of the Sixers have their trade values rising which is only good for the team. The Process is officially moving into phase two.