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In their quest to make it back to the playoffs during the 2024-25 NBA season, the Sacramento Kings have been busy in recent weeks as far as coming up with a plan for their final roster spot. This offseason has been eventful for the Kings, as Malik Monk signed a new four-year contract to remain with the team and All-Star DeMar DeRozan joined the roster at the expense of veteran forward Harrison Barnes. However, the Kings have been left with an open roster spot, which is why they have hosted workouts for notable players like Jae Crowder and Nassir Little in recent weeks.
Now, the Kings are once again holding a free agent workout before training camp begins in October, this time with former Indiana Pacers standout forward TJ Warren, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.
Many NBA fans may remember Warren for his heroics in the NBA Bubble when he was with the Pacers. Upon the resumption of play after the league shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019-20 season, Warren looked like the best player in the league. With the Pacers in the NBA Bubble, Warren averaged 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in a total of 10 games, highlighted by a memorable 53-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Warren, 31, was the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Phoenix Suns, Warren was traded to the Pacers and ended up being teammates with current Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis. Unfortunately, Warren's time with the Pacers went downhill after his breakout performances in the NBA Bubble due to major foot problems that he had surgery to try and remedy.
More recently, Warren has spent time playing limited minutes for the Brooklyn Nets, Suns, and Minnesota Timberwolves. In a total of 11 games with Minnesota last season, Warren averaged just 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
It has become clear that the Kings are searching for depth on the wing with their final roster spot. Little and Crowder are both experienced small forwards, as is Warren. Head coach Mike Brown has always taken pride in being able to get the most out of his talents on the wing both offensively and defensively, which is why it shouldn't come as a shock to see the Kings exploring their options in this position late in the offseason.
Although the Kings now have DeRozan, Barnes' departure left an obvious hole to fill alongside Keegan Murray, who the organization believes can continue developing into a star. With a few weeks until the start of training camp, Kevin Huerter and Jalen McDaniels are the only other wings on Sacramento's roster.
While no deal between Warren and the Kings appears to be imminent, a solid showing during his workouts in Sacramento could just earn the former Pacers star a spot on a team's opening-night roster.
