NY Knicks: 3 reasons why the team should trade for T.J. Warren
By Max Hoover
Reason #1: T.J. Warren fits with the NY Knicks’ offense
Unless the Knicks are trading for a franchise-altering player that they would build their entire offense around, the idea should be finding players that support the growth of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett.
A quick look at the way the Suns, Bucks, and Hawks constructed their rosters proves this point.
Getting the right role players around your stars is critical for success in this league.
T.J. Warren would fit nicely alongside our Slam Magazine cover duo.
For starters, Warren is a career 36% three-point shooter. However, that number is deceptive. He has a 0.00 percent number killing his average after going 0-8 to start last season before his injury.
During the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons he shot 42% and 40% respectively.
The more granular you get with Warren’s offensive data, the more he fits with what the Knicks want to do.
For example, Warren averaged 1.14 points per possession on spot-up attempts during the 2019-2020 season with the Pacers.
Last season, spot-ups accounted for almost 30% of the Knicks offense. It’s not hard to picture him making defenders pay for doubling off him onto Randle.
Hey, you wanna go fast? He can do that do.
Transition buckets only accounted for 12% of the Knicks offense last year, but they’d be wise to find Warren and his 1.32 points per possession in transition.
The only relative weakness in Warren’s game with respect to how the Knicks play would be as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He’s only good for 0.91 points per possession on those sets.
Lastly, don’t forget about what he was able to do in that wacky bubble. Having another guy who can go get points is what the Knicks desperately need.