Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia 76ers:
PHILADELPHIA – JUNE 13, 2018 – Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Brett Brown announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year options on the contracts of guard T.J. McConnell and forward-center Richaun Holmes. By exercising their options, these players will be under contract with the 76ers for the 2018-19 season.
McConnell originally signed with the 76ers in September 2015, following a four-year collegiate career at Duquesne and Arizona. Since his NBA debut in 2015-16, no NBA player has recorded more steals in a reserve role than McConnell’s 203. His 697 assists off the bench over the past three seasons are second in the league, behind only Dallas’ J.J. Barea. He has appeared in 238 games (69 starts) over his three seasons with the 76ers, averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 22.9 minutes per game. Between 2016-17 and 2017-18, McConnell saw his three-point percentage jump from .200 to .435.
On Feb. 12, 2018 vs. New York, McConnell posted 10 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and six steals as he became the first 76er ever to post a triple-double off the bench (teammate Markelle Fultz accomplished the feat weeks later). In Philadelphia’s Game 4 Eastern Conference Semifinal victory over Boston, McConnell drew his first career playoff start and posted 19 points (9-12 FG), the most he’s totaled in a game in his NBA tenure.
Holmes was drafted by Philadelphia with the 37th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after three seasons at Bowling Green. In his three NBA seasons with the 76ers, he has appeared in 156 games (20 starts) and averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. He’s posted six double-doubles over the past two seasons, including a 15-point, 11-rebound effort this past Dec. 12 at Minnesota and a career-high 14-rebound, 24-point performance on March 20, 2017 at Orlando.
The forward-center got the starting nod on March 29, 2017 vs. Atlanta and posted a career-high 25 points (11-16 FG) to go along with eight rebounds. A career .547 percent shooter, Holmes led the team in field goal-percentage this past season with a mark of .560 (min. 35 games) and has finished top-three among 76ers in that category in each of his three NBA seasons.
