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Phoenix Suns: What Will Happen to T.J. Warren’s Playing Time?

By Steve Benko

PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 31: TJ Warren #12 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half of the NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 31, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 31: TJ Warren #12 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the first half of the NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 31, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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T.J. Warren is a good player who does some things very well, but will he be a regular in the rotation this upcoming season? Will he be phased out of the Phoenix Suns offense? It seems only time will tell.

Warren has improved his game each year he’s been in the NBA, but it seems as though his type of style may not fit in what will likely be an offense not really tailored to his game. It’s not that he can’t adjust, but the Phoenix Suns would probably be better off without him.

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Last season, Warren average 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and one steal per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. He’s doesn’t have any stats that will really impress anyone. He’s a crafty scorer who uses his size to his advantage, but not as much as he should.

His defense has got worse over the last two seasons and cannot develop a three-point shot as much as he’s tried. Long story short, he’s a good player who doesn’t really fit in with the new-look Suns.

He made some strides from his second year in the league to his third, but those strides plateaued in year four and there wasn’t really a whole lot to be excited about anymore.

Warren would be a solid addition looking for an established player who can score well around the rim, but the Suns should absolutely try to trade him toward the beginning of the season.

It’s not like he would be hard to trade, he is a good player on a very team-friendly contract and can give a team 20 points a night semi-efficiently. Teams likely would not take Warren straight up, unless they were looking for a specific type of player but it’s possible.

The only problem would be if the Suns really want to deal Warren, they may have a hard time getting the return they’re looking for. He’s not a hard sell for any team, but the price they’d look to get him at is probably far lower than what Phoenix would require in return.

It just doesn’t seem likely that Warren would get minutes in first-year head coach Igor Kokoskov’s offense. It’s not likely Warren will get any DNP-CD’s, but he started 65 games last season and it would be shocking if he was the day one starter this upcoming season.

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Can the Suns actually trade him and get a return that would be favorable for both sides? It’s possible, but not very likely. But one thing is for sure, Kokoskov is definitely going to experiment with rotations, so it will be interesting to see where Warren ends up in those.

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