6. T.J. McConnell – Philadelphia 76ers
Drafted: Undrafted in 2015 Draft
Last season stats: 6.1 points, 4.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds per game on 47% shooting and 35% shooting from three-point range for the 76ers
After going undrafted in last season’s NBA Draft, University of Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell joined the 76ers summer league team. McConnell played well in the Utah Summer league with averages of 6.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists per game. The coaching staff liked what they saw and he earned a contract with the team.
McConnell played in 81 games last season for the 76ers and started in 17 of them. Once the team acquired point guard Ish Smith last year, McConnell’s minutes went down. Then on July 1st, the 76ers and free agent point guard Jerryd Bayless agreed in principle to a 3 year $27 million deal which will also affect McConnell’s minutes. McConnell will have to again use the summer league as a platform to show his team that he deserves a spot.
No one expected McConnell to actually make the roster when they initially gave him a summer league contract, but he did. There will be more players this summer who follow McConnell’s footsteps and earn contracts by working hard in the summer which is a great reason to watch the summer league.
Next: 5. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot