INDIANAPOLIS – The news the Pacers got on trade deadline day wasn’t in the ‘buying’ or ‘selling’ mode.
Instead, it was ‘unfortunate’ news.
A few hours after Thursday’s 3:00 PM deadline passed, the Pacers announced that T.J. Warren will miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season due to a left foot injury.
Back on January 5th, Warren had surgery to repair a small left navicular stress fracture, which was the opposite foot from the plantar fasciitis he played through during last year’s bubble.
What makes this particular injury difficult to recover from in a relatively quick manner is this area of the foot struggles to get necessary blood flow. And that is a reason why Warren’s season is over. He played in just 6 games.
Unfortunately, missed games and injuries have defined Warren’s career in the NBA.
In 7 NBA seasons, Warren has missed at least 16 games in 6 of those seasons. He’s averaged to miss 31 games per season in his NBA career.
This news is particularly unfortunate because of the level of play that Warren reached towards the end of last season.
Entering the 2020-21 campaign, many thought Warren could be the Pacers’ best player, as his game flourished on a playoff team for the first time in his career.
With this news coming out just hours after the trade deadline, it adds to a bit of the confusion over the Pacers not actively trying to sell a piece or two.
Given the current makeup of the Pacers (20-23), is this really a team capable of winning a first-round series this season?
Warren, 27, is under contract with the Pacers through the 2022 season.
