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3 Suns free agents the Lakers should steal after huge Bradley Beal trade

By Jason Reed

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 09: Darius Bazley #55 of the Phoenix Suns dunks over Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of the game at Footprint Center on April 09, 2023 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 09: Darius Bazley #55 of the Phoenix Suns dunks over Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of the game at Footprint Center on April 09, 2023 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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T.J. Warren Lakers
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) – T.J. Warren Lakers /

2. T.J. Warren

The Brooklyn Nets took a chance on T.J. Warren last summer as they were faced with a similar problem as the Suns. Brooklyn was lacking depth behind the superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the hope was that Warren could return to his previous form at some point.

Injuries hit Warren at the worst time as he was peaking in the league. After an exceptional performance in the Orlando bubble, Warren played just four games in the 2020-21 season and missed the entire 2021-22 season.

Warren did return to the court for the Nets and was not the same player. His workload was low at only 18.8 minutes per game but his efficiency was way down. After shooting 40.7% from three in his previous three seasons, Warren was shooting just 33.3% from three.

The veteran wing was then lumped in with Durant in the trade that sent him to Phoenix and he was not much better after the deal. He only played 12.3 minutes per game to round out the season while playing 13.5 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Despite his averages, T.J. Warren is a risk worth taking for the Lakers.

It is really hard to find an impact player with something like the bi-annual exception so using it on a player that has a lot of upside, like Warren, might make the most sense. After all, Warren is still only going to be turning 30 years old in September and there absolutely is a world in which he blossoms on the right team.

Los Angeles lacked that one extra wing scorer behind Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura in the NBA Playoffs and it showed against the Denver Nuggets. Like Bazley, signing Warren is not a guarantee for huge numbers but the ceiling is higher than the restricted free agent.

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