T.J. Warren Reportedly Agrees to 1-Year Contract with Nets After Pacers Stint
Free-agent forward T.J. Warren has agreed to a one-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Warren has played only four games since dominating in the NBA's "bubble" setup in Florida at the tail end of the 2019-20 season. He suited up for just four matchups in 2020-21 and missed all of 2021-22 after suffering consecutive stress fractures in his left foot.
Prior to the injury stretch, Warren was playing the best basketball of his NBA career. He dropped 53 points on 20-of-29 shooting in his first game in the bubble, a 127-121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The former North Carolina State star averaged 31.0 points in six regular-season bubble games.
He posted a career-high 19.8 points on 53.6 percent shooting for the 2019-20 campaign.
Unfortunately, foot injuries forced him to miss nearly the entirety of the next two seasons. However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported March 17 that Warren had recovered from the ailments and had resumed full basketball activities.
The Pacers, who were well out of the playoff picture in March, held him out of the final 12 games as a precaution.
Warren played five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, who selected him with the No. 14 pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He averaged 19.6 points during the 2017-18 season after inking a four-year, $47 million contract extension.
However, the Suns dealt Warren to the Pacers in 2019 in a three-team deal also involving the Miami Heat. He was one of the driving forces as Indiana made the playoffs in 2020.
He'll join a Nets team in turmoil amid Kevin Durant's trade request and the ongoing uncertainty regarding Kyrie Irving's future. Warren could start on a retooling Nets team before re-entering free agency in a year with his value improved around the league.
