T. J. Warren Bio
Anthony “T. J.” Warren Jr. (born September 5, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. Standing 6 ft 8 in and listed at 220 lb, he plays the small forward and power forward positions. Warren first gained national attention as a scoring wing at North Carolina State, where he was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2014. He went on to play in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and Minnesota Timberwolves before returning to the G League.
Across his career, Warren has built a reputation as an efficient midrange scorer and a fearless shot creator in the half court. His most memorable stretch came during the 2020 NBA Bubble, when he erupted for a career-high 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. After several seasons disrupted by injuries, he reestablished himself in the G League, where he continues to compete with the Westchester Knicks.
Early Life and Background
Anthony “T. J.” Warren Jr. was born on September 5, 1993, in Durham, North Carolina. He grew up in a basketball household, and the sport quickly became part of his daily life. Warren attended Riverside High School and Word of God Christian Academy before completing his prep career at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
At Word of God Christian Academy, Warren averaged 14 points per game and helped his squad finish 24–3. He then transferred to Brewster Academy, where he played small forward for the varsity team, earned 1st Team All-NEPSAC honors, and led the program to a 33–1 record and a National Prep Championship. Ranked No. 32 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100, he was viewed as one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. Major programs such as North Carolina State University, Georgetown, and the University of North Carolina pursued him, and he officially committed to North Carolina State on November 2, 2011.
Warren was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2012 and was part of a highly regarded North Carolina recruiting class alongside Tyler Lewis and Rodney Purvis. He has credited his father, Tony Warren Sr., who played for North Carolina State from 1977 to 1979 under coach Norm Sloan, with helping shape his basketball foundation.
Path to Basketball
Warren’s path to elite basketball ran through a steady climb of increasingly competitive programs. After showing scoring touch at Word of God Christian Academy, he elevated his profile at Brewster Academy against a national schedule, where he demonstrated the kind of efficiency and midrange touch that would later define his professional game.
His recruitment by North Carolina State assistant coach Orlando Early helped solidify the connection, and Warren signed with the Wolfpack as one of the top 25 recruits in the 2012 class. The development plan his father encouraged, staying in college to refine his game and improve his draft position, set the stage for a breakout sophomore season. That season, Warren led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring at 24.9 points per game and was named the conference’s Player of the Year, cementing his transition from a promising prep star to a national-level basketball prospect.
T. J. Warren Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
Warren joined the NC State Wolfpack in 2012 and immediately contributed as a freshman. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 27 minutes per game, earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshmen Team while leading the conference in field goal percentage at .622. His best performance of the season came against Florida State on February 19, 2013, when he posted 31 points and 13 rebounds. He helped the Wolfpack reach the 2013 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Temple University in the first round as an 8 seed.
Encouraged by his father to develop further at the college level, Warren returned for his sophomore season and blossomed. He set career highs with 41 points against Pittsburgh and 42 points against Boston College, then closed the year with 28 points in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Louis. For the season, he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over 35.4 minutes, leading the Wolfpack to a 22–14 record and a 9–9 mark in the ACC. He became the first NC State player to win ACC Player of the Year since Julius Hodge, was named a consensus second-team All-American, and earned first-team All-ACC recognition before declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft.
NBA Breakthrough (2014–2019)
The Phoenix Suns selected Warren with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and he signed his rookie contract in August 2014. A thumb injury delayed his debut, and he recorded his first NBA minutes on November 9, 2014, against the Golden State Warriors. He notched his first points and rebounds in a win over the Boston Celtics on November 17, 2014, and was also assigned to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. He finished his rookie year with a strong outing against the Los Angeles Clippers, recording his first professional start as a power forward.
Warren’s game accelerated during his second season, when he tied and then surpassed his previous career highs and was recognized as one of the league’s most efficient young shooters, becoming the first player since Yao Ming to make two-thirds of his shots on at least nine attempts in his first 50 NBA appearances. A broken right foot in February 2016 cut his season short, but he returned the following year as the team’s starting small forward, posting a career-high 30 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder and a career-high 16 rebounds against the same team later that season. In September 2017, he signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Suns and opened the 2017–18 season with a 40-point performance against the Washington Wizards and a 35-point game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He capped his time in Phoenix with five straight 20-point games in November 2018, the longest streak of his career.
On June 20, 2019, Warren was traded to the Indiana Pacers, and the deal was finalized on July 6, 2019. He quickly became a focal point of the Pacers’ offense, scoring a team-high 35 points on 16-of-19 shooting against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 12, 2020.
NBA Bubble Standout (2020)
The 2020 NBA Bubble provided the defining stretch of Warren’s NBA career. On August 1, 2020, he erupted for 53 points on 20-of-29 shooting, including 9-of-12 from three-point range, in a 127–121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The outburst was the third-highest single-game total in Pacers franchise history, trailing only Reggie Miller’s 57 points in 1992 and Jermaine O’Neal’s 55 points in 2005, and made him the first player to reach 50 points in the bubble. He closed the seeding slate averaging 31.0 points across eight games, earning selection to the All-Bubble First Team on August 15, 2020.
Return to the Court (2022–2024)
Persistent lower-leg injuries limited Warren to four games in 2020–21 and kept him off the floor throughout 2021–22, and he was shut down for the remainder of that season on March 17, 2022. On July 7, 2022, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets and made his debut on December 2, 2022, scoring 10 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors. On February 9, 2023, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns as part of the package that sent Kevin Durant to Brooklyn.
After his release from the Suns, Warren signed consecutive 10-day contracts with the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 6 and March 16, 2024, and then signed for the remainder of the season on March 27, 2024. On October 3, 2024, he signed with the New York Knicks, was waived on October 19, and joined the Westchester Knicks on October 28, 2024. He re-signed with Westchester on February 16, 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Warren is best known as a midrange specialist with a smooth pull-up jumper, footwork developed through years of post-up play, and the ability to score efficiently from either forward position. He reads defensive rotations quickly, finishes through contact, and stretches defenses with improved three-point shooting, a package that has made him a reliable complementary scorer in professional rotations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Warren’s 53-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers on August 1, 2020, stands as the signature performance of his career and a defining moment of the 2020 NBA Bubble. Additional milestones include his 2014 ACC Player of the Year honor, the raising of his No. 24 jersey to the PNC Arena rafters by NC State on February 24, 2019, and his 2025 selection to the All-NBA G League Third Team.
T. J. Warren Career Wins
While Warren’s professional résumé is defined more by individual scoring milestones than by team championships, his trophy case includes a 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase championship with the Westchester Knicks and a 2025 All-NBA G League Third Team selection. At the collegiate level, he was a consensus second-team All-American and the 2014 ACC Player of the Year.
NBA and G League Highlights
Warren opened his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns after being selected 14th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and he produced several of the most efficient shooting stretches of his generation. His first signature NBA performance was a 40-point game against the Washington Wizards on November 1, 2017, the same season in which he signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension. His most recent headline performance is his 53-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020 NBA Bubble, a franchise-topping effort that placed him among the Pacers’ all-time single-game scorers.
Other Awards and Performances
Warren’s pre-professional honors include McDonald’s All-American recognition in 2012, a spot on the ACC All-Freshmen Team in 2013, first-team All-ACC in 2014, and consensus second-team All-American honors in 2014. His No. 24 jersey was honored by the NC State Wolfpack in 2019, and he earned an NBA G League Winter Showcase championship in 2024.
T. J. Warren Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Warren is the son of Tony Warren Sr., a former North Carolina State basketball player who competed for the Wolfpack from 1977 to 1979 under coach Norm Sloan. Tony Warren Sr., who also performed as a rhythm and blues singer, played a key role in his son’s development, encouraging him to remain in college to refine his game before turning professional. The basketball pedigree is central to T. J. Warren’s story and connects his professional career back to the same NC State program that shaped his father decades earlier.
Personal Life
Warren has kept his personal life largely private, and no details about a spouse, partner, or children have been publicly confirmed. He continues to focus on his professional basketball career, most recently with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 G League season marked a return to form for Warren with the Westchester Knicks, where he provided veteran scoring and shot creation for a young roster. He was recognized for his play with a 2025 All-NBA G League Third Team selection, reinforcing his value as a polished offensive option at the small forward and power forward positions.
Warren’s production helped the Westchester Knicks build on their 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase championship, and his experience from years of NBA competition offered a steadying presence in the locker room. Working with the coaching staff to manage his workload, he remained a focal point of the offense and continued to deliver efficient scoring performances across the schedule.
Looking ahead, Warren’s mix of midrange scoring, three-point shooting, and positional versatility keeps him in the conversation for an NBA opportunity whenever a team needs a veteran wing scorer. His track record in the 2020 NBA Bubble and his production for the Westchester Knicks in 2025 suggest he remains capable of contributing at the highest level when healthy.