An explosive game from T.J. Warren in Orlando has officially placed him on the Golden State Warriors’ offseason wishlist.
The Golden State Warriors are scouting the NBA’s Orlando bubble for potential offseason targets. One player, in particular, T.J. Warren, has stepped up to put himself on the champs radar.
Warren has always been a prolific scorer but he shocked everyone when he detonated for 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. Warren connected on 9 3-pointers, shooting an overall 20-of-29 from the floor. He became just the third player in NBA history to score 50+ points with less than 5 free throw makes, joining the Splash Brothers.
This game was obviously an anomaly for Warren. There is no chance he consistently puts up incredible numbers like this. But, it was all the proof we needed to confirm what many had already been thinking, Warren has become a valuable talent.
Before being traded for cash consideration (yikes), Warren was averaging close to 20 points per game for the Phoenix Suns. In a move to free up financial space to sign Ricky Rubio, the Suns shipped Warren to the Indiana Pacers, where he is now nearly matching his career-high of 19.6 points.
Warren is a three-level scorer, capable of creating his shot off the dribble from anywhere on the floor. His production has been a major reason the Pacers have stayed competitive in the absence of Victor Oladipo. With Oladipo back in the lineup, Warren acts as a great complimentary piece.
The Warriors would love to have Warren as one of their supporting pieces for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He fills the Harrison Barnes/Kevin Durant role perfectly, perhaps an even better fit than Andrew Wiggins.
Warren is set to make $11 million dollars next season, fitting under the Dubs’ $17 million dollar trade exception. They won’t be able to acquire Warren for cash considerations as the Pacers did, but their upcoming 2020 NBA Draft pick should be enough to at least force consideration for a deal.