James Wiseman, the former No. 2 overall draft pick, just inked an Exhibit-9 contract with the reigning champion New York Knicks on Wednesday. This isn’t your average signing, folks; it’s a “make-good” deal, a real last chance saloon for a 6-foot-11 center trying desperately to stick around in the league. For Wiseman, this is it, a training-camp special designed to see if he can finally find a permanent home in the NBA.
From Top Pick to Tattered Resume
Let’s rewind a bit, because Wiseman’s NBA journey has been wild. The Golden State Warriors snagged him with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, but that pick was a direct result of absolute disaster for them. Injuries to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, plus Kevin Durant’s departure, torpedoed their season, leaving them with a league-worst 15-50 record in 2019-20. The Warriors were tantalized by Wiseman’s size and athleticism, even though he was only 19 and played just three college games at Memphis before injury cut his season short. As a rookie, he put up 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds but really struggled on defense. He then missed the entire 2021-22 season with a knee injury, the same year Golden State went on to win the championship for the fourth time in eight years. He showed few signs of improvement over 21 games in the 2022-23 season, leading to his trade to Detroit in February 2023 in a four-team deal that brought Gary Payton II back to the Warriors.
A Crowded House in NYC
His post-Warriors career hasn’t exactly been a redemption arc. Wiseman never stuck with Detroit or Indiana. Last season, he played a grand total of four games for the Pacers after they waived him in October, re-signed him to a 10-day contract in December, and then waived him again six days later. Now, with the reigning champion Knicks, he faces a seriously crowded road to make the roster. He’ll be competing for one of the team’s final two openings against a crew of established NBA vets. We’re talking Ochai Agbaji, John Konchar, Drew Eubanks, and Bruce Brown all vying for those same spots.
This Exhibit-9 contract means Wiseman has to prove everything in training camp. Can he finally put it all together with the Knicks? Or is this the final chapter for the former No. 2 pick? The pressure is on in New York to show he belongs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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