New York Knicks sign former first-round pick

“'Nova Knicks' is so last year, but 'Manhattan Minnesotans' probably doesn't roll off the tongue like that either.

According to SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley, New York will sign veteran forward TJ Warren to a Schedule 10 contract, a one-year minimum salary contract that can be converted to a two-way contract. The move comes shortly after the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves made their high-profile deal for Karl-Anthony Towns official.

Ironically, Warren spent his final NBA minutes in Minnesota, where he played 11 games after signing a contract for the remainder of the season following a few 10-day signings. During that span, Warren averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds and later made three playoff appearances as the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals.

Warren, 31, previously joined the organization as the 14th pick of the 2014 draft out of North Carolina State. He spent two stints with the Suns, including his first five seasons, before moving on to Indiana and Brooklyn. The latter sent Warren back to Phoenix during the 2023 trade deadline and, ironically, acquired the Knicks' new signing Mikal Bridges.

In basketball history, Warren is perhaps best known for his unexpected 53-point effort as a member of the Indiana Pacers in the Walt Disney World bubble at the end of the 2019-20 season. It was the third-best record in franchise history and part of a six-game effort in which he averaged 31 points and 6.3 rebounds near the Magic Kingdom.

With the Knicks somewhat lacking in depth after the costly, if unexciting, trade for Towns, Warren will have a chance to make an impact, especially when it comes to spelling Josh Hart, who is widely expected to go after Julius Randle's duties were shipped to Minneapolis.

Warren will likely get some time during the Knicks' preseason, which begins Sunday night against the Charlotte Hornets (5 p.m. ET, MSG).

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