James Wiseman just inked a training camp deal with the New York Knicks, the reigning NBA champions, making a surprising return to the league after his agent announced he’d continue his professional career in Europe. The No. 2 pick from the 2020 draft is now battling it out for one of two vacant roster spots.
The Road Back to the Big Stage
Dude was supposed to be in Europe, right? But the chance to play for the Knicks, who just blew through the NBA playoffs last spring, clearly proved too tempting to pass up. Wiseman, a familiar face to Golden State Warriors fans and a former NBA champion himself, has had a rough go lately. Remember that 2024-25 season? He actually earned a spot in the Indiana Pacers rotation, only to suffer an Achilles tear five minutes into his very first game. That’s just brutal. He ended up playing only four games for the Pacers last season, a team that was absolutely wrecked by injuries, using seven hardship exceptions before Christmas. Wiseman had two brief stints with them, but it never really got going.
The Center Crunch in New York
Now, he’s got a fresh start with a team looking to defend their title. The Knicks are in a bit of a center crunch after losing Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti in free agency this summer. They brought in Andre Drummond to take the backup center position, but it looks like they’re ready to add a third center to the mix. This is important because their starting power forward, OG Anunoby, is only 6-foot-7, and you’d think they’d want someone bigger than Mohamed Diawara in the pivot. Wiseman is directly competing with fellow camp invitee Drew Eubanks for that crucial spot. The Knicks are also bringing in Bruce Brown, John Konchar, and Ochai Agbaji, filling out their camp with some of the summer’s “Best available free agents.”
Wiseman may not seem like the missing piece for a team that dominated the playoffs, but the path to a roster spot looks pretty clear: he just has to beat out Eubanks. Eubanks has definitely played more in recent seasons, suiting up for 75 games in 2023-24, then 61 games across two teams in 2024-25, and 42 games last season. But those numbers are trending downward, opening a real opportunity for Big Jim. This training camp is going to be a battle, and Wiseman is fighting for a chance to contribute to a championship squad.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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