8. T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns
This will require a bit of buy-in on T.J. Warren‘s part, since he’s used to starting for some awful Phoenix Suns teams. With the glut of wings on this roster, he may not even be on the same team by the end of the season. No matter what colors he’s wearing after the February deadline, “microwave bench scorer” feels like the role Tony Buckets was born to play.
With Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson likely to start at the 3 and 4, the only opening Warren has at a starting role in 2018-19 is injury — like, say, Devin Booker‘s current hand injury that could force him to miss the first few games of the season. Even so, it’s unlikely Warren lands and keeps a starting role with this team (or whatever team winds up trading for him).
Even so, Warren has an undeniable talent for putting the ball in the hole. He possesses neither the “3” nor the “D” of the coveted 3-and-D skill-set, but he’s a dynamic mid-range scorer and off-ball cutter. He averaged a career-high 19.6 points per game last season despite not having a 3-point shot. so whether it’s for the Suns or another team, Warren has the skills to be an explosive sixth man. He’s just has to accept his fate as a Jamal Crawford type first.