As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to enter the NBA offseason, the franchise knows that a lot of moves will be needed to get back into postseason contention. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are likely to remain on the roster barring an unforeseen blockbuster trade, but the future of Russell Westbrook is very much up in the air. While fans are looking for big moves, the Lakers may opt for smaller roster changes, with one potentially being a trade with the Indiana Pacers for point guard TJ McConnell.
That’s right, this is the kind of move that fans are going to be extremely mad at. McConnell is not the kind of piece that moves the championship needle much. However, he could be a perfect fit for the Lakers at a very low price.
Over at Eight Points, Nine Seconds, a Pacers’ website, McConnell was suggested as a potential trade target for the Lakers. A move including Talen Horton-Tucker was suggested.
McConnell figures to be a good fit in LA. His three-point shot is next to nothing, but he is essentially the Lakers’ playbook embodied. He is a wonderful orchestrator in fast break opportunities who blends well with LAL’s penchant for such. With them struggling gravely on defense, TJM should also patch some holes, as he is a very sneaky defender who can slow down guards and fit well in team concepts.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Insider Reveals Surprising Lakers Russell Westbrook Trade Suitor
McConnell would bring excellent defensive and a ton of energy for the Lakers. The major downside to this move is that he simply isn’t a factor offensively. In fact, he can be viewed as a negative in many ways.
During the 2021-22 NBA season with the Pacers, McConnell ended up playing in 27 games. He missed a huge chunk of the season due to a wrist injury. McConnell averaged 8.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Here’s Who LeBron James Wants To Coach Los Angeles Lakers
Those numbers aren’t great, but they aren’t shabby either. As a depth piece, TJ McConnell could be a nice target for the Lakers.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the upcoming offseason has in store for the Lakers. They will need to make some moves, but they don’t all have to be huge. McConnell may not be a “sexy” target, but he would add some much-needed defense and energy off the bench.
