The Phoenix Suns should consider trading for T.J. McConnell

The Phoenix Suns are in need of a point guard, and a trade for Philadelphia 76ers guard T.J. McConnell may be the perfect solution.

After moving on from Brandon Knight, the Phoenix Suns are in a tricky situation at point guard. Their three primary point guards still on the roster are Elie Okobo, De’Anthony Melton, and Shaquille Harrison. Okobo and Melton are second round rookies, and Harrison is an undrafted sophomore with just 23 career games under his belt.

The Suns don’t necessarily have to make a move for a new point guard, but all signs point to them trying to. Rolling the dice with all three would be good for each of their developments, but it would makes things more difficult for the rest of the team. In a season where the Suns will look to win more games, a new point guard is likely coming.

Among the calls the Suns should be making is one for Sixers backup guard T.J. McConnell.

McConnell is a gritty, technically sound player who can make any team better. Over each of the last two seasons, he was expected to be the odd man out of the Sixers’ guard rotation. But without fail, McConnell always earned a significant role because of his value on the court, no matter who he’s paired with.

T.J. McConnell would be an especially good fit on the Phoenix Suns, as he checks every box the team is looking for in a player next to Devin Booker.

He’s not a great scorer, but he never takes a bad shot. Last season, he led the entire NBA in effective field goal percentage and was second in true shooting percentage. He’s also an above average passer who does a great job limiting turnovers, finishing seventh in assist to turnover ratio and fifth in assist ratio.

McConnell is a tough defender who gets under people’s skin. He’s not an elite athlete, but he’ll run up and down the floor with anyone, which often results in them getting flustered and losing their rhythm. He was a major contributor to the Sixers playoff run last season, and he was the only person capable of slowing down Terry Rozier.

McConnell is still just 26, and he’s on the final year of his extremely team friendly contract. He’ll get paid more next summer, but not enough that keeping him around would become a financial issue. He’ll once again have to scrap to earn minutes this season, which means the Suns should be able to get him at a reasonable cost. Even if he’s not the long term solution as a starter, he can be a long term contributor.

A second round pick and maybe a less important rotation player could be enough to land McConnell, who would immediately be a fan favorite in Phoenix because of his hustle and reputation for being an excellent teammate. He’s also expanding his range, having jumped from 20 percent to 43.5 percent from three last season, albeit on less than one attempt per game.

McConnell started just one regular season game last season, but he still played over 22 minutes per game. The year before, he started 51 games, so there’s no doubt he can handle a starter’s role and expansive minutes. He’d immediately be the best point guard on the roster.

The Phoenix Suns are in the market for a starting point guard, and T.J. McConnell may be the best fit and biggest bang for their buck.