The Sacramento Kings reportedly are working out veteran forward T.J. Warren, who last played with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 season.
Per sources, the Kings are working out TJ Warren this week. The 31-year-old who averaged a career-high 19.8 points for the Pacers in 2019-20 last played with Minnesota last season (11 games).
The Kings have Jae Crowder and Nassir Little in this week as well. (@SeanCunningham…
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) September 16, 2024
Warren, 31, was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He’s been a solid scorer during his time in the NBA, but a foot injury cost him most of the 2020-21 season (he appeared in just four games) before he missed the entire 2021-22 season.
He hasn’t really been the same player since then, bouncing around from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns in the 2022-23 campaign. He then appeared in 11 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging just 3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 15.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Warren had an extremely strong showing in the NBA’s Orlando, Fla. bubble during the 2019-20 season. In six games from Aug. 1 of that year through Aug. 10, Warren averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the Indiana Pacers while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from beyond the arc.
During that six-game stretch, Warren had a 53-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He shot 20-for-29 from the field and 9-for-12 from beyond the arc in that matchup.
The Kings are looking to contend for a playoff spot in the 2024-25 season after coming up short in the play-in tournament during the 2023-24 season. Sacramento did make a major addition this offseason, acquiring star DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade that involved the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.
While Warren may not be a player that the Kings are targeting for immediate minutes, he could be an option – if they sign him – behind players like DeRozan and Keegan Murray in the rotation.
The Kings were the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference during the 2022-23 season, but they took a bit of a step back in the standings last season. Despite that, Sacramento has won 48 and 46 games over the last two seasons. Prior to that, the Kings hadn’t won 40 or more games in a single season since the 2005-06 campaign.
It’ll be interesting to see if Warren can latch on with the Kings or another NBA team as he looks to revive his professional career.
