The simplest expectation is that James Wiseman won’t matter to the 2025-26 NBA season.
That’s been how it has gone for the uber-talented center in recent years. He’s never lived up to his high school recruiting ranking or his NBA Draft status.
But could things be different with the Indiana Pacers?
Wiseman is healthy, for now. And there’s opportunity to be had, at least sort of.
The Pacers lost their center stalwart this offseason when Myles Turner left for the Milwaukee Bucks. They’re looking to replace him in the aggregate.
Indiana has Isaiah Jackson returning from last season’s depth role, and he’ll have a chance to play more.
The Pacers also signed Jay Huff, an intriguing and lanky center who can do a lot of different things on the floor.
And then there’s Wiseman, the one-time Golden State Warriors bust who has never latched on for a long run in the NBA.
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It’s hard to forget, even now, how much hype Wiseman generated when he went to play his college basketball for the Memphis Tigers.
Somehow, though, Wiseman hasn’t turned into the generational center it once felt like he would be. He hasn’t even turned into a starting NBA center.
This could be one of his last real chances, if only because the Pacers don’t have a locked-and-loaded starter on the interior.
If Wiseman plays well enough, he’ll get to keep playing. It’s an intriguing situation worth monitoring, for sure.
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