Brooklyn Nets‘ free agent signing TJ Warren has made encouraging progress in his recovery from a foot injury that limited him to four games in the last two seasons.
Warren has progressed from practicing with coaches to playing against his teammates, which is a step in the right direction, according to Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
“It (Warren’s activity) is against players. I’m not sure if it was four on four. It could have been the range from three on three, four on four. Not sure if they get to five on five.”
Jacque Vaughn via Nets Wire
Vaughn added there was no setback, signaling Warren’s season debut may come soon.
Warren signed a veteran’s minimum deal with the Nets last offseason to continue rehabbing his foot and, simultaneously, his value. He is expected to provide a veteran presence off the bench for a team with championship aspirations.
While there is still no clear timetable for his return, Warren joined the Nets’ recent road trip, which ended with a 128-117 collapse in Indiana against his former team Pacers.
Warren played two seasons for the Pacers, including a scorching run in the Orlando Bubble at the height of the pandemic. Warren only played four games in the 2020-21 season as he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. The recovery went longer as expected, causing him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.
If Warren successfully returns, he will compete for minutes in a loaded Nets wings rotation of Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, and Yuta Watanabe, who missed the Nets’ last three games with hamstring tightness.
Watanabe remains out on Sunday when the Nets host the Portland Trail Blazers, who are coming off a stunning overtime win over the New York Knicks.
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