The Cavaliers had a rough month of January. Their shooting, like the weather outside in northeast Ohio, was ice-cold but LeBron James cranked up the heat on the front office to get more players for the defending champs. With the trade deadline approaching the Cavs have ramped up their efforts to find playmakers. The Cavs reportedly reached out to the Philadelphia 76ers about acquiring point-guard TJ McConnell, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers rejected the proposal, which centered around former Sixers 2014 draft selection Jordan McRae
McConnell is enjoying a very nice stretch of play now that his role in the rotation has increased. While only averaging 5.6 points per game and 6.0 assists per game this season, he has double-digit assists in four of the last six games. Philadelphia also has a record of 10-5 since he took over the starting job on December 30th and figures to be a part of the Sixers’ future.
At 800k per year McConnell also happens to have a very team-friendly contract that extends with team options for the next two seasons. For the Cavaliers and their league-leading payroll number, the contract is very team-friendly and will be an even bigger bargain as the league-wide salary cap continues to rise. McConnell would have assumed a Matthew Dellavedova-type role as a backup facilitator and pesky defender, an area the Cavs lack with Kay Felder. However the Sixers are finally showing some signs of growth and it would be questionable to trade away one of the team’s young promising assets.
