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T.J. McConnell

Indiana Pacers · #9 · Plus starter
PG6'1"190 lbage 3411 yrs expArizonaPittsburgh, PA
4th best of 15 on INDworth +1.5 wins to the rotation
OFF82DEF78
Elite playmaker & perimeter defender
IND
Indiana Pacers
Eastern · Central · proj. 52-30 (▲+0.1)
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The ultimate change-of-pace backup point guard and a fan favorite, leading the entire sample in playmaking (100th pct) and pesky perimeter defense (80th pct) while finishing 54% inside in just 17 minutes a night. He posted a sterling 20.5 PER and 2.5 BPM as a connector who never turns it over relative to his usage — pure winning basketball off the bench.

9.4
PPG
2.2
RPG
5.1
APG
1
SPG
0.2
BPG
GP 56MPG 17.2FG% 53.83P% 32FT% 86.2TS% 56.7USG% 23.2PER 20.5BPM +2.5VORP 1.1EPM +1.4
2025-26 regular season · bars are percentile at his position

NBA player ratings

0–99 · 2025-26 form
Playmaking99
Perimeter defense90
Inside finishing89
Rebounding77
Scoring74
Rim protection74
Shooting69

Skill ratings are 2025-26 per-game and advanced stats (Basketball-Reference) ranked 0–99 within position (guards vs guards, bigs vs bigs). Overall is anchored to EPM impact on a non-linear curve, nudged by these skills; Offense and Defense come from box plus-minus. A player who missed the latest season is shown from his most recent one.

Career

2015-16 to 2025-26 · 11 seasons
7.8
PPG
2.9
RPG
5.0
APG
762
GAMES
Points 5,921Win Shares 34.7Starts 101Best season 2020-21 · 8.6 ppg
Games played, last three seasons84%

Regular season, 2003-04 onward (Basketball-Reference). Averages are weighted by games played; honours count awards won, not finishes. “Current players” means the 802 who played in the last three seasons.

Trajectory

2023-24 → 2025-26 · age 31 → 33
▬Steady

T.J., at 33, has held steady — 4.2 → 3.2 wins of value over the window.

Age curve▬ On curve
Declining about on schedule for his age.
2026-27 forecast▲ 3.9 wins (+0.7)
Assumes a normal season; he played 56 games last year. Age takes about 1.1 wins off at 34. Range 2.9–4.9 wins.
Production (BPM)+3.0 → +2.5-0.526-27 forecast +1.4
His production has held roughly steady.
2023-24: +3.0 · 71 games2024-25: +1.2 · 79 games2025-26: +2.5 · 56 games2026-27: +1.4 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Value to team (wins)4.2 → 3.2-0.926-27 forecast 3.9
His value to a team has been stable.
2023-24: 4.2 · 71 games2024-25: 3.4 · 79 games2025-26: 3.2 · 56 games2026-27: 3.9 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Contract value2026-27: worth $9.9M vs $11.0M salary−$1.1M
He is paid about what his play is projected to be worth.
$11.0M salary2023-24: $11.0M · 71 games2024-25: $7.9M · 79 games2025-26: $7.4M · 56 games2026-27: $9.9M (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Current deal: $11,000,000 cap hit · through '29. On the contract row the flat dashed line is this salary, so the gap to the 2026-27 forecast is the surplus.

Seasons from Basketball-Reference (2023-24 → 2025-26). Production is box plus-minus, a per-possession measure. Value is VORP-based wins, so it also counts games played. Contract value is what each season’s play would fetch on the open market. The dotted 2026-27 point is a forecast: his established level, a year older, assuming a normal season.

Contract

2026-27
$11,000,000Guaranteed
5% of the club’s payroll · 7th of 13 priced deals
Runs through3 seasons
Est. market value$9,904,000 /yr
Surplus−$1,096,000
FAIR VALUEpaid about what he is worth

Market value is an estimate, not a reported figure: what his play is forecast to fetch on the open market in 2026-27 — his current rating, a year older. Cap thresholds are projected for 2026-27 until the league sets them.

Plays like

same position

Nearest skill profiles across the seven rating axes — who he plays like, not who is as good. The rating beside each name answers that second question.