Pacers taking chance on notable former No. 2 overall pick
Apr 22, 2018; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A general view of center court before game four between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
A former No. 2 overall draft pick is joining Hali’s Heroes in Indiana.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Tuesday that the Pacers are signing big man James Wiseman in free agency. Wiseman is getting a two-year deal from Indiana.
The 23-year-old Wiseman was the No. 2 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft but has failed to pan out up to this point, especially after a knee injury cost him a key developmental year in 2021-22. The Warriors gave up on Wiseman in Feb. 2023, trading him to the Detroit Pistons. Last season for the Pistons, Wiseman got a few good minutes off the bench but still mostly underwhelmed with 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game.
Indiana might be Wiseman’s last and best chance to prove his NBA worth. While the Pacers frontcourt is crowded, they don’t very much by way of true seven-footers. Wiseman will also be getting an opportunity to play with the league’s reigning assists leader in All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers are coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and with them, Wiseman can stick it to one of his ex-Warriors teammates too.
