Suns Sign T.J. Warren To Contract Extension

The Phoenix Suns have signed forward T.J. Warren to a multiyear contract extension.“We are excited about extending T.J.’s contract,” said General Manager Ryan McDonough. “T.J. has improved every year and we think he has the potential to continue to grow as he just begins to approach his prime.  We view T.J. as an important part of our young core going forward and we are glad that we were able to reach an agreement on this extension.”Warren, a 6-8, 215-pound forward, is entering his fourth NBA season and averaged career highs of 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 31.0 minutes in 66 games (59 starts) in 2016-17. The 24-year-old also shot 49.5 percent from the field, placing 28th on the NBA leaderboard. One of the league’s most efficient scorers, Warren averaged 17.6 points on 56.0 percent shooting following last season’s All-Star break as he and LeBron James were the only wings, and two of just six players overall, to average at least 15 points and shoot at least 55 percent during the season’s second half.Originally the Suns’ selection with the 14th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, Warren holds career averages of 11.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 24.4 minutes in 153 games, all with Phoenix. With a career field goal mark of 50.2 percent, he is one of just two players from the 2014 NBA Draft class (Nikola Jokic) to be averaging double-digits scoring while making at last half of his field goal attempts.A native of Durham, North Carolina, Warren starred collegiately for two seasons at North Carolina State University. In his final season with the Wolfpack in 2013-14, he earned ACC Player of the Year honors and set a single-season school record with 871 points, breaking the 39-year-old record previously held by Hall of Famer David Thompson.The Suns are currently in Flagstaff for training camp on the campus of Northern Arizona University. Training camp will conclude with an open scrimmage at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 29, at the Prescott Valley Event Center, home of the Suns’ NBA G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. Phoenix will play five preseason games, including three at home from October 9-13, before tipping off the team’s 50th season with the Coca-Cola & Fry’s Food Stores Home Opener on Wednesday, October 18 against the Portland Trail Blazers at Talking Stick Resort Arena.