Two former members of the Indiana Pacers joined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Free agents Edmond Sumner and T.J. Warren were announced as recent signees for the Nets. Their contract situation has yet to be confirmed.
Injuries have plagued the Indiana Pacers for many seasons. Warren and Sumner were no strangers to that fact.
TJ Warren is headed to the Nets, per Shams. Will never forget the bubble legend. pic.twitter.com/q4nyIGyy1g
— Zach Pearson (@zapearsonNBA) July 5, 2022
T.J. Warren spent three seasons with the Indiana Pacers and, in that time, played just 71 games. He missed the last two seasons of play with a stress fracture in his foot that required fixing surgery.
He joined the team during the 2019-20 NBA season, where he would average 19.8 points a game and 4.2 rebounds in the 67 games he played. He shot 40.3% from deep on just over three attempts and 50% from the field.
After his first season, he would only play in four games under head coach Nate Bjorkgren and would then deal with that foot injury that sat him for multiple seasons. Before that, however, was the NBA bubble of 2020.
T.J. Warren had one of the best stretches of his career, if not the best eight-game span before the four-game playoff series against the Miami Heat. He averaged nearly 30 points a game and six rebounds, scoring a career-high 53 points against the 76ers.
The legend of bubble Warren was born as if to say look at me now, Jimmy Butler – you aren’t on my level. Although the Pacers were swept by the Miami Heat, Warren “broke out” of his shell, or so we thought. Reflecting on what could have seemed to be a common occurrence for this franchise.
So now, T.J. Warren signed a one-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets as he was an unrestricted free agent. Brooklyn will likely be a great spot for Warren to regain his value across the league as he approaches his 29th birthday.
Edmond Sumner signed with the Nets the same day.
Edmond Sumner has agreed to return to the Brooklyn Nets, per Woj. Sumner was a blast - glad he gets this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/LXJHEqJxd1
— Zach Pearson (@zapearsonNBA) July 5, 2022
Edmond Sumner has been a fun story since he joined the team and has dealt with his fair share of injuries. He came into the league as the 52nd pick because he had a torn ACL and was dealing with a shoulder injury.
Once he rehabbed from that, Sumner would spend a great deal of time with the team’s G-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Sumner was healthy for three seasons with the Pacers and had to work his way into a rotation spot. His last season (2020-21) was where he finally cracked consistent minutes under new head coach Nate Bjorkgren who utilized his quickness in transition.
Sumner averaged 7.5 points a game and 1.5 rebounds in 16.2 minutes, which were all career highs. Then the unthinkable happened when Sumner was doing offseason training just weeks away from training camp. He tore his Achilles Tendon, which ended his season and tenure with the Pacers.
He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, coincidentally, and was then waived by the team. He stayed in Indiana throughout his rehab journey and was frequently at the Pacers’ practice facility doing so. After a season of recovery, Sumner looks ready to play and now gets the chance to do so with the Nets.