Indiana forward T.J. Warren has not featured in an NBA game since Dec. 23, 2020 while recovering from injuries.
Indiana forward T.J. Warren has healed up from the left foot injuries that have troubled him since late 2020. However, Warren will not play in any of Indiana’s final 12 games this season as he gears up for 2022-23, the team announced Thursday.
“Our organization’s guiding principle will always center on a holistic approach to our players’ health and prioritizing their overall well-being,” Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “T.J. Warren has worked incredibly hard over the past 14 months to get to this point — a full participant in on-court activity with his teammates — all while navigating the many challenges that accompany this type of injury.
“However, after thoughtful conversation with T.J. and his representatives, it has been determined that the most beneficial course of action at this point is to allow him to focus on the 2022-23 season. We will continue to provide T.J. with all the care, support, and resources necessary to ensure he returns to the high-level of play to which he’s accustomed.”
Warren had featured in four games during the 2020-21 season before having season-ending foot after first being plagued by the injury on Dec. 31, 2020. Overall, he averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 rebounds with a .529 field goal percentage in 2020-21.
Speculations about when Warren could return continued until March 25 of last year. Then, it was officially announced that he would not appear in another Pacers game that season and he has not played in a game since December 2020.
Indiana is 23-47 and in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are essentially out of the Play-In and playoff picture this season and are building toward the future after trading All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento last month.
