T.J. Warren
2017-18 Stats:
19.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 49.8% FG
Outlook: It really does depend on a number of factors.
If T. J. Warren is willing to be the first man off the bench for this team, and commit to the idea of being a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, then the Suns should not be afraid to keep Warren on this team. However, there are also reason to trade Warren away. Site Editor Adam Maynes has been banging that drum for some time now. If he is going to pout about not starting, not give his all, or anything of that nature, then he needs to go. That’s not to say that he will do that, because we just don’t know until the situation arises. The possibility is there though, and the Suns should find out from Warren as early as possible whether he would accept such a rotational change, and entertain trading him if he feels that way.
Regardless of the rotation, another reason Phoenix should consider trading Warren is if a prospect they like either falls, or is more obtainable than what they expected by including Warren in a package. For example, if the Suns are lucky enough to get the first pick, and they take Ayton, then they could use Warren in a package to move back up and grab someone like a Trae Young or someone else to fill a gaping hole by using a position of strength. If the Suns love multiple top prospects, they have the assets to move up and get a couple of them, and T. J. Warren is the most expendable top asset that they have.
I personally would love for T. J. to stay on this team and be a fantastic scorer off the bench. For me, Josh Jackson needs to be the starting small forward from now on, and frankly, Warren just isn’t good enough defensively to start at either the 3 or the 4. If Warren wants to start, or if the Suns can get two top-5 prospects in this draft by trading Warren, then T. J. should not be on this roster to start next season. At this point, we will have to wait and see how the offseason plays out.