7. T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns
T.J. Warren is the most injury-riddled player you didn’t even know was injury-riddled. A running joke on Phoenix Suns Twitter every time Tony Buckets goes down is that he needs to be wearing a helmet, thanks to the frequent, mysterious head injuries he’s sustained.
Through the first four seasons of his career, Warren has played in 40, 47, 66 and 65 games. He spent some time in the G League as a rookie, but for the most part, it’s been injury problems that have forced him to miss an average of 27.5 games per year. Lucky for him, that didn’t stop the 25-year-old from earning a four-year, $50 million contract extension.
From a broken right foot in 2015-16 and the mysterious head injury in 2016-17 to back soreness, a bruised tailbone and knee problems last season, Warren has been unable to really establish himself as an inherent part of The Timeline, no matter what his contract says. He’s improved every season, but with so many wings in Phoenix, he needs to stay healthy — either to build his trade value and join a better team, or to prove he’s a necessary part of the rebuild moving forward.