Former Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman has landed his next basketball opportunity, but it hasn't come in the NBA after the 24-year-old was waived by the Indiana Pacers earlier in the season.
Wiseman will instead take part in the USA Men's World Cup qualifying team, with the former Warrior arguably headlining a group that features a number of ex-NBA players still trying to make their way back into the league.
James Wiseman included in USA team for World Cup qualifying
Other notable players include veteran guard Elfrid Payton and forward David Roddy, while big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is also part of the squad after working out for the Warriors during last offseason.
Taevion Kinsey is one of the less notable names on the roster, but the 25-year-old was part of Golden State's training camp roster, having appeared in three preseason games for the franchise before being waived prior to the start of the regular season.
The February 2026 USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team includes Malcolm Hill, Tevian Jones, Taevion Kinsey, Brandon Knight, Dakota Mathias, Elfrid Payton, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, David Roddy, Jaden Shackelford, Terry Taylor, Jeremiah Tilmon and James Wiseman.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 17, 2026
It's quite the downfall for Wiseman who was supposed to be the next big thing for the Warriors after being selected second overall behind Anthony Edwards at the 2020 NBA Draft. His story from that point has been quite an eventful but ultimately disappointing one, having dealt with a myriad of injury concerns that's left him out of the league after just 152 career games in six seasons.
After tearing his achilles in his debut game for the Pacers last season, Wiseman returned to the franchise on a new contract hoping things would work out second time around. Yet the 6'11" center was waived after only one game, and while he briefly returned for three games on a 10-day contract, he's been unable to garner another NBA opportunity in recent months.
At least Wiseman will now have another chance to prove his potential value to NBA teams, particularly if he can take the starting center role and contribute significantly during the USA's qualifying campaign.
As much as the Wiseman pick may be the most regretful decision the Warriors have made in a long time, everyone within the organization, along with fans, would hope the best for the young center after such a tumultuous career to date.
Wiseman appeared in 60 games for Golden State prior to his departure at the 2023 mid-season trade deadline, with his rookie year still remaining the best of his career where he averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and nearly a block per game on 51.9% shooting from the floor.