 Wiseman in a youth game in 2017 | |
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2001-03-31)March 31, 2001 (age 24) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Memphis (2019–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Golden State Warriors |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2023 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2022–2023 | →Santa Cruz Warriors |
| 2023–2024 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2024–2025 | Indiana Pacers |
| Career highlights | |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Medals | |
James Monteinez Wiseman (/ˈwaɪzmən/WYZE-mən;[1] born March 31, 2001) is an American professionalbasketball player who last played for theIndiana Pacers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theMemphis Tigers. Listed at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m),[2] he plays thecenter position.
Wiseman began high school atThe Ensworth School in his hometown ofNashville, Tennessee before transferring toMemphis East High School inMemphis, Tennessee, where he was coached by former NBA playerPenny Hardaway for his first year. As a senior, Wiseman was a consensus five-starrecruit, with most recruiting services ranking him number one in the 2019 class. He claimed multiple national player of the year awards and played in theMcDonald's All-American Game after his final season.
In college, Wiseman joined Memphis to play for Hardaway, who had become the Tigers' coach. Early into his freshman season, he was suspended by theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which deemed that Hardaway had acted as abooster by facilitating Wiseman's move toMemphis, Tennessee in 2017. He served part of the suspension before withdrawing from school to prepare for the2020 NBA draft, where he was drafted with the second overall pick by theGolden State Warriors. He won anNBA championship with the team in2022, despite being injured and not appearing in any games during the season. He was then traded to theDetroit Pistons in 2023, before signing with theIndiana Pacers in 2024. He is widely regarded as an NBAdraft bust.[3]
Entering his freshman season forThe Ensworth School inNashville, Tennessee, Wiseman stood 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg). He was a teammate of futureNBA playerJordan Bone.[4] By June 2016,ESPN ranked Wiseman among its top 25 players in the 2020 recruiting class.[5] In 2016, he played for the St. Louis EaglesAmateur Athletic Union team.[6][7] As a sophomore in 2016–17, he guided Ensworth to theTennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II-AA semifinals.[8] He averaged about 20points and 10rebounds per game and was namedMaxPreps Sophomore All-American honorable mention.[9]
In May 2017, Wiseman joined Team Penny, founded by former NBA playerPenny Hardaway, on theNike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. In August, he announced his transfer toMemphis East High School inMemphis, Tennessee, where Hardaway was promoted to head coach.[10] On November 16, 2017, the TSSAA ruled Wiseman ineligible for his junior season because an "athletic coaching link" existed between him and Hardaway.[11] However, on December 13, he was cleared to play because the TSSAA rule was "not clear in its application".[12] During the season, Wiseman rose to become the number one overall recruit by ESPN in the 2019 class. On March 17, 2018, he led Memphis East to a TSSAA Class AAA championship, leading all scorers with 19 points.[13] He averaged 18.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.8blocks per game, earning MaxPreps Junior All-American third team recognition.[14]
Entering his senior season, Wiseman remained at Memphis East instead of transferring to aprep school, citing "the East High tradition" and the improvements he made as a junior with the program.[15] On March 1, 2019, he recorded atriple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks to help his team win the Region 8AAA championship.[16] Memphis East finished as TSSAA Class AAA runners-up toBearden High School, even though Wiseman posted 24 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks in his final high school game.[17] After averaging 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks as a senior, he was namedGatorade National Player of the Year andMorgan Wootten National Player of the Year.[18][19] Wiseman also won theTennessee Class AAA Mr. Basketball award while appearing in theMcDonald's All-American Game, theJordan Brand Classic, and theNike Hoop Summit.[20][21] He sharedmost valuable player (MVP) accolades withCole Anthony at the Jordan Brand Classic.[22]
In October 2019, after Wiseman had moved on to theUniversity of Memphis, the TSSAA's original ruling of ineligibility for the 2017–18 season was upheld by a Memphis judge, who ruled that the TSSAA coaching link rule was not too vague and did not violate Wiseman's property rights as an athlete.[23]
Wiseman was a consensus five-star recruit out of high school and was considered the top recruit in the 2019 class by247Sports andESPN.[24][25] On November 20, 2018, he committed toMemphis despite strongly consideringKentucky. As a result, he reunited with former high school coach Penny Hardaway, who had become the team's head coach in the previous season.[26] On November 29, Wiseman signed aNational Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Memphis.[27]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Wiseman C | Nashville, TN | Memphis East (TN) | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Nov 20, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings:Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (97) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 1 247Sports: 2 ESPN: 1 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Wiseman was projected to be the first overall pick in the2020 NBA draft. In August 2019, a minor shoulder injury kept Wiseman from joining Memphis for a series of preseasonexhibition games inNassau, Bahamas.[28] He missed his team's two preseason games in October after sustaining an ankle injury.[29] On November 5, Wiseman made his regular season debut with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in 22 minutes as the Tigers defeatedSouth Carolina State, 97–64.[30]
On November 8, Wiseman's lawyers announced that theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruled him ineligible to play for Memphis. TheUniversity of Memphis stated that head coach Penny Hardaway had paid for $11,500 in moving expenses to help him and his family move to the city of Memphis in 2017.[31] According to Wiseman's lawyer, Leslie Ballin, the NCAA deemed that Hardaway, a Memphis alumnus, had acted as a booster.[32] On the same day, aShelby County judge granted Wiseman a temporaryrestraining order against the NCAA's ruling, allowing him to keep playing.[31][33] Less than two hours later, he had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead Memphis pastUIC, 92–46.[34] Wiseman's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to restore his eligibility before withdrawing the case six days later in hopes of reaching an agreement.[35] On November 20, the NCAA ruled that Wiseman would be eligible to return on January 12 after serving a 12-game suspension if he donated $11,500 to a charity of his choice.[33][36]
On December 19, 2019, after missing seven games due to suspension, Wiseman announced that he would leave Memphis, hire anagent and prepare for the2020 NBA draft, effectively ending his college career. He was one of the highest-rated prospects in his class, according to draft analysts.[37][38] Wiseman was considered a potential number one pick.
Wiseman was selected with the second overall pick in the2020 NBA draft by theGolden State Warriors.[39] On December 22, 2020, he made his NBA debut with 19 points, six rebounds, and two steals in a 125–99 loss to theBrooklyn Nets.[40][41] On January 27, 2021, Wiseman scored a season-high 25 points, along with six rebounds, in a 123–111 win over theMinnesota Timberwolves.[42] On April 11, it was revealed that Wiseman suffered a torn right meniscus.[43] On April 15, he underwent successful surgery to repair the injury, and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season.[44]
On March 9, 2022, Wiseman was assigned to theSanta Cruz Warriors, Golden State'sNBA G League affiliate team, to play games before returning to the NBA.[45] On March 16, he was recalled by Golden State, but was assigned to Santa Cruz again a day later.[46] However, on March 19, Wiseman suffered a setback in his rehab and was shut down by Golden State.[47] On March 25, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season.[48] Despite being injured during the season, Wiseman won anNBA championship with the Warriors when they defeated theBoston Celtics in six games.[49][50]
On July 10, 2022, Wiseman made his return from injury in the2022 NBA Summer League, putting up 11 points, two rebounds, and two blocks in an 86–85 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[51] On December 21, Wiseman scored a career-high 30 points in a 143–113 loss to theBrooklyn Nets.[52] On December 30, 2022, Wiseman sprained his ankle during a 3-on-3 scrimmage and subsequently did not play in the following games for Golden State.[53]
On February 9, 2023, Wiseman was traded to theDetroit Pistons in a four-team trade involving thePortland Trail Blazers andAtlanta Hawks, with Golden State reacquiringGary Payton II from Portland.[54][55] He made his Pistons debut on February 15, recording 11 points and five rebounds in a 127–109 loss to theBoston Celtics.[56]
On July 5, 2024, Wiseman signed a 2-year contract with theIndiana Pacers including a team option .[57] On October 23, Wisemantore his left Achilles tendon in the season-opening game against theDetroit Pistons.[58]
On February 6, 2025, Wiseman was traded to theToronto Raptors alongside cash considerations in exchange for a 2026 top 55 protected second-round pick, but was waived shortly after.[59][60]
On July 7, 2025, Wiseman re-signed with the Pacers on a 2-year contract including a team option.[61] He started one game for Indiana, recording four points, four rebounds, and one block. On October 27, the Pacers waived Wiseman to open up a roster spot to signMac McClung.[62] On December 20, Wiseman signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers.[63] On December 26, after three appearances for the team, Wiseman was released from his contract with the Pacers.[64]
Wiseman averaged 11.4 points and 5 rebounds per game for theUnited States at the2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship inFormosa, Argentina.[65] He helped his team win the gold medal overCanada.[66] Wiseman was unable to join the United States for the2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup because he was injured.[67]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Golden State | 39 | 27 | 21.4 | .519 | .316 | .628 | 5.8 | .7 | .3 | .9 | 11.5 |
| 2022–23 | Golden State | 21 | 0 | 12.5 | .628 | .500 | .684 | 3.5 | .7 | .1 | .3 | 6.9 |
| Detroit | 24 | 22 | 25.2 | .531 | .167 | .712 | 8.1 | .7 | .2 | .8 | 12.7 | |
| 2023–24 | Detroit | 63 | 6 | 17.3 | .613 | .000 | .706 | 5.3 | .9 | .2 | .6 | 7.1 |
| Indiana | 1 | 0 | 4.6 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
| 2025–26 | Indiana | 4 | 1 | 14.5 | .600 | .000 | .500 | 2.0 | .8 | .0 | .3 | 3.3 |
| Career | 152 | 56 | 18.8 | .560 | .262 | .682 | 5.5 | .7 | .2 | .7 | 9.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20[68] | Memphis | 3 | 3 | 23.0 | .769 | .000 | .704 | 10.3 | .3 | .3 | 3.0 | 19.7 |
| Career | 3 | 3 | 23.0 | .769 | .000 | .704 | 10.3 | .3 | .3 | 3.0 | 19.7 | |
