Until yesterday, James Wiseman was a member of the Indiana Pacers’ bench. But in light of an injury to Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers needed to waive someone to open up a roster spot to sign another ball-handler. And as such, Wiseman was the one on the chopping block.
Where once he was thought to be – by one team, at least – the second-best prospect in a draft with some depth to it, Wiseman is now out of the league in favor of Mac McClung, a 26-year-old ball-handler who realistically will barely play. For someone who entered the league as the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft – one spot ahead of LaMelo Ball, ten ahead of Tyrese Haliburton, and 19 ahead of Tyrese Maxey – Wiseman’s fall from grace has been jarringly sharp.
Aged only 24, Wiseman was on a partially guaranteed contract with the Pacers, and was only just in the league. Now, he is out of it altogether. The question becomes whether there is a path back to big league job security for the once-prized prospect, or if China awaits.
Wiseman’s Difficult Start
All players are drafted on the basis of future potential more than past performance. In Wiseman’s case, though, it was particularly true. Injury limited his career at the University of Memphis to merely three non-conference games, and although he was dominant in them physically, going up against future medical device salesman over whom he had six inches and 60lbs of size advantage was not indicative of who he would truly need to be as an NBA player.
Nevertheless, Wiseman was seen as a relatively modern big man prospect with elite physical tools. Standing 7’1″ with a 7’6″ wingspan, some mobility in transition and a soft touch around the rim, Wiseman had the physical profile of a modern-era paint player. Five years later, however, his numbers and role have yet to reflect the expectations attached to that draft position, in large part hindered by further injury.
Wisemanâs rookie season with the Golden State Warriors in 2020-21 offered both highlights and reminders of how raw he was. In 39 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just over 21 minutes per game, shooting 51.9% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range on occasional jump shots. He showed an ability to finish lobs, run the floor, catch and finish, sometimes run some pick-and-pop plays, and could protect the rim in spurts. But he also struggled with his defensive rotations and decision-making in Golden Stateâs read-and-react system, before his season was brought to a premature end when he tore the meniscus in his right knee.
The recovery process lingered well into the following year, and Wiseman missed the entire 2021-22 season, costing him crucial development time while the Warriors went on to win the NBA title without him. When he finally rejoined the team for the 2022-23 season, his role had diminished; in 21 games with Golden State that season, he averaged 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game before being sent to the G League for conditioning and additional reps.
Brief Peak, Longer Valley
Deemed a sunk cost by the Warriors – who could have kept their dynasty alive with a different pick – Wiseman was traded at the 2023 NBA trade deadline to the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team deal, in which the Warriors received Gary Payton II and two second-round picks. The move offered Wiseman a fresh opportunity on a rebuilding roster, and his playing time increased accordingly; indeed the second half of that season would go on to be the best stretch of his career to date.
Over 24 games with the Pistons that season, Wiseman averaged 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds on 53.1% shooting while playing over 26 minutes per night. It was arguably his best stretch of consistent basketball, and the kind of “redraft” prospect a then-bottoming-out Pistons team were looking for. But again, it did not last.
With the emergence of Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, Wiseman was never the earmarked future of the Pistons frontcourt, and his role dwindled accordingly. He appeared in just 63 games in the 2023-24 season with the Pistons, averaging 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while seeing his minutes drop to 17.3 per game. His efficiency remained solid, in keeping with his physical profile, but he continued to struggle defensively, particularly in pick-and-roll coverage. Solid rebounding and rim protection, the skills expected to anchor his value, were not enough to solidify his place in the Pistonsâ future plans. Stewart and Duren could do those too.
Wiseman’s Last Chance
Since then, there has been almost nothing to report.
In the summer of 2024, the Pacers took a low-risk gamble by signing Wiseman as a depth option behind Myles Turner. However, just minutes into the 2024-25 season opener, Wiseman suffered a torn left Achilles tendon, ending his season just as it began and putting another major setback on his resume. An Achilles injury is a very serious one for a basketball player, and for someone already with a litany of ailments in his past, it cost Wiseman yet more development time that he could not afford to lose.
Across his five-and-a-bit NBA seasons to date, Wiseman has played in only 149 regular-season games, averaging 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. His limited availability has been the defining issue, but not the only one, as he still makes plenty of mistakes on both ends of the floor. For a player who turns 25 next March, the challenge is now less about his upside – which has largely gone – and more about durability and fitness. He will not be signed purely for his potential any longer; he has to be ready to contribute, and to shore up his weaknesses.
There may still be a path forward at the NBA level for Wiseman if he can regain his health and carve out a specific role. Centers with his combination of size and touch can thrive as rim runners and screeners in second-unit lineups if they simultaneously protect the paint and avoid mistakes when caught in space. But the margin for error has grown smaller. After five injury-plagued years, it will be imperative that Wiseman takes his next chance. If even there is one.
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