9. T.J. McConnell
Talented draft picks are always great to have on a roster, but they can only take a team so far. A winning team must have a diverse group of players who know how to tackle adversity. T.J. McConnell has been a true embodiment of that.
His gritty play on both ends of the floor captivated the 76ers front office to the point where they couldn’t help but exercise his $1.6 million option for 2018-19, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The undrafted point guard has endured many losses in his career with the Sixers, but he has also become one of the league’s most underrated role players, on a team that is a favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals this season. Other organizations around the league will surely take this into account next summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
With new developments on the roster, however, it is difficult to predict how Brett Brown plans to allot minutes within the guard rotation. McConnell, as he’s shown in recent history, will be ready whenever his services are needed.