3. T.J. Warren
Signing T.J. Warren is a risk for the Brooklyn Nets as Warren has essentially not played at all the last two seasons because of injuries. However, the best version of Warren is one of the best role players in the league and is someone who could legitimately be the third scoring option on a contending team.
Warren is not a star but he could be that role player that swings an entire playoff game with a big night, and thus, could swing an entire playoff series. Warren absolutely tore it up in the Orlando bubble and that is a glimsp into what he can do.
Because of injuries, the 28-year-old forward only netted a minimum contract and he is going to get a great chance to prove himself in Brooklyn in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving do end up getting traded. Unfortunately, it would have been better for all parties involved if Warren did that with a contending team like the Lakers.
Sure, there is always the chance that Warren does not return to who he was before. However, he is under 30 so the odds of him coming back and being a complete shell of himself (like Trevor Ariza) are pretty slim. At the very least he could be a quality backend rotation guy.
While youth is great, it is really hard to convince anyone that Troy Brown Jr. is going to have the kind of impact that Warren could have had with the Lakers. The best version of Brown this season is not that much better than what the worst version of Warren could have been.
Lakers’ roster decisions indicate a Kyrie Irving trade will absolutely happen
At the end of the day, the Los Angeles Lakers will end up doing whatever it takes to make a Kyrie Irving trade happen because of the current roster.
But hey, Brown is a Klutch Sports client so that is all the explanation you need there as to why he was signed in the first place.