Report: Former Warriors No. 2 pick Wiseman and Pacers agree to contract Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
Former Warriors’ second overall pick James Wiseman Has found a new home.
The 7-foot-10 center has agreed to a two-year free agent contract with the Indiana Pacers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday, citing sources.
Free agent center James Wiseman has agreed to a two-year contract with the Indiana Pacers, sources told ESPN. Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. image.twitter.com/UBA9Yhlejx
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2024
Wiseman spent last season and Some changes with the Pistons after Golden State traded him to Detroit ahead of the February 2023 NBA trade deadline as part of a four-team deal that also involved the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers.
In his rookie season with the Warriors, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points with 51.9 percent shooting from the field, 5.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.9 blocks in 39 games (27 starts) before suffering a torn meniscus in April and missing the remainder of the season. He underwent surgery to repair his knee but ended up missing the entire 2021-22 season to rehab.
Golden State had high expectations for the center, given that the team selected him in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. But injuries and inconsistent play derailed that. The true development of Wiseman for a team whose patience finally ran out.
The Warriors parted ways with the 7-foot-10 playmaker midway through the 2022-23 season, and in 87 games with Detroit, Wiseman averaged 8.6 points on 57.6 percent shooting from the field, with 6.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.7 blocks.
Detroit was the worst team in the NBA last season, winning just 14 games.
Not only is Indiana the fresh start Wiseman might need, but the team is also coming off a historic season in which it advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.
Could Wiseman help the Pacers take the next step and present challenges to Eastern Conference powerhouse and reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics? He and the Pacers certainly hope so.
