It appeared like James Wiseman's NBA career might have been over earlier this offseason, but the former Golden State Warriors big man is officially back in the league after making the New York Knicks opening night roster.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday, the Knicks are waiving former Denver Nuggets champion Bruce Brown, paving the way for Wiseman to make the main roster ahead of ring ceremony night on Tuesday.
Knicks officially give James Wiseman an NBA lifeline
After waiving Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks and Ochai Agbaji earlier in the week, the decision for New York came down to Wiseman and Brown given second apron restrictions prevented the franchise from keeping both players.
The Knicks have ultimately gone with a third center option, choosing Wiseman to play behind All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and veteran Andre Drummond who was acquired on a minimum contract in free agency.
Wiseman took advantage of a starting opportunity against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, going for an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double on 7-of-8 shooting to prove a rare positive from a 50-point defeat.
The Knicks tipped their hand in Friday's final preseason game where Wiseman played four minutes off the bench, recording two points and a rebound. Brown, meanwhile, didn't play at all after appearing in three previous preseason outings.
Saturday's move means Wiseman will be on a regular season roster for the first time since December when he was waived by the Indiana Pacers, having played only five games over the past two years which included tearing his achilles on opening night of the 2024-25 season.
James Wiseman suddenly finds himself on championship contender
The unique aspect here for Wiseman is that he's on the reigning champions and a team that will be aspiring to go back-to-back. His stints over the past few years since departing the Warriors have been with rebuilding teams not entirely focused on winning.
The Detroit Pistons offered Wiseman his biggest opportunity from a playing standpoint, but his exit from the franchise coincided with their rise up from the bottom of the league. He would have technically won a championship ring if the Pacers had won the Finals in 2025, yet he appeared in just one game that season where he got injured. Even in his brief stint back in Indiana last season, it was on a lottery team struck down by injuries.
We'll see how Wiseman handles the pressure of playing in New York and on a championship contender, and he'll have to make the most of his opportunity considering they're still likely to be very limited.
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