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Paris Basketball has made a major splash in the summer market. American forward TJ Warren, thirty-two years old, has signed for the 2026-2027 season with the French vice-champions. After a long NBA career, the Bronx native discovers Europe at a time when his trajectory seemed to be stalling. For the Parisian club, which is preparing its next European campaign with high ambitions, the arrival of a scorer of this caliber changes the offensive game. Warren is not a complementary name: he averaged over eighteen points per game for three consecutive seasons before a foot injury abruptly halted his momentum.
An offensive pedigree forged in Arizona
Drafted fourteenth overall by Phoenix in 2014, Warren built a reputation as a versatile finisher capable of scoring from mid-range and beyond the arc.
Drafted fourteenth overall by Phoenix in 2014, Warren built a reputation as a versatile finisher capable of scoring from mid-range and beyond the arc. His three full seasons between 2017 and 2020, all above eighteen points per game, made him one of the most consistent forwards in the league. The Orlando bubble episode in the summer of 2020 left a lasting impression: fifty-three points against Philadelphia, thirty-one against Washington, a five-game streak of over thirty points that propelled him into the national spotlight. Traded to Indiana shortly after, he never regained that momentum. A stress fracture in his left foot kept him off the court for nearly two years, and his return in 2022-2023, split between the Suns and the Nets, was not enough to revive his NBA career. At thirty-two, the choice of Europe appears as much a relaunch as a gamble.
Paris bets on experience to take the next step
Paris Basketball comes off a solid but unfinished season, with a lost championship final and an encouraging European campaign. The club has changed coaches for the third consecutive year, handing the reins to Maxime Lefèvre, and is looking to stabilize its roster around experienced profiles. Warren ticks all the boxes: adequate size for the position, recognized basketball IQ, and above all, the ability to create his own shot in tight end-of-game situations. In the EuroLeague, where defenses tighten spaces from the second quarter onward, having a player capable of generating points in isolation remains a luxury that few French teams can afford. The Parisian staff hopes that the motivation of a former first-round pick, eager to prove he still belongs at the highest level, will compensate for questions about his physical condition after years of setbacks. Summer preparation will provide the first answers.
A growing trend between the NBA and Europe
Warren's arrival fits into a broader movement. In recent seasons, several former NBA players seeking playing time or a fresh start have crossed the Atlantic, attracted by leading roles and less demanding schedules than overseas. The French league, boosted by the visibility of the EuroLeague and modernized facilities, is becoming a credible destination for profiles that, ten years ago, would have systematically targeted Spain or Turkey. For Warren, the stakes go beyond statistics: it is about rediscovering joy on the court and a consistency that the NBA no longer offered him since his injury. If his foot holds up, the Parisian public could discover a scorer still capable of lighting up an entire evening. The season starts in October, and the first friendly matches will say a lot about the real state of the former Sun.