Sixers

Woj: Sixers Could Get a First Round Pick for T.J. McConnell

By Russ Joy

Published: Nov 30th, 2018 · 3:01 PM EST

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Just how valuable is a backup point guard? Does his value to his team change if the team’s former #1 overall pick gets pulled from basketball activities by his agent/attorney? Could that even mean turning down potential offers of a first round pick?

According to ESPN’s basketball insider extraordinaire Adrian Wojnarowski, the answers are: very, yes, and yes.

On Ryen Russillo’s podcast, Woj dropped the following bombshells on TJ McConnell’s trade value (h/t Sagar Trika):

https://twitter.com/BlazersBySagar/status/1068573714776678400

There’s no way the Sixers could’ve turned down a first round pick at some point in the last two weeks, right? That’d be organizational malpractice.

More:

https://twitter.com/BlazersBySagar/status/1068574850342514688

Woj: You can get a first round pick for T.J. McConnell but [Philadelphia’s] not doing that. They need him now. They need him to play on this team. They need him to continue in that role, and so they’re not listening to those offers right now. All that goes out the window with some crazy offer, but barring that, the Sixers want to keep [McConnell].”

I’d argue someone offering a first round pick for a backup point guard is a crazy offer. I know that it’d put the Sixers in a tough position at an already-thin spot in their lineup, but the Sixers could very likely go out and make a move for another veteran point guard to fill that role until:

1. Markelle Fultz returns
2. Markelle Fultz is traded
3. Someone hits the waiver wire

What do you think? Would you trade TJ for first round pick, even if it depletes the team’s depth?