James Wiseman: an unexpected return to the NBA spotlight
Until a few weeks ago, James Wiseman’s name barely moved anyone. The 2m13 giant, billed as the Warriors’ future interior anchor after the 2020 draft, looked like he was sliding into oblivion. Cut by Indiana, bounced from rotation to rotation, he was just a lost project. Then a call. A ten-day contract. A tiny gap, but real. A half-open door Wiseman plans to smash through with furious dunks and sharp pick-and-rolls.
This short deal, grabbed from forward Gabe McGlothan — who was sent back to the G-League — looks like a mad gamble. But in the NBA, the most unlikely turns sometimes start with throwaway contracts. Maybe that’s where Wiseman rebuilds his story.
We have signed center James Wiseman to a 10-day contract.
In a subsequent move, we have released forward Gabe McGlothan from his 10-day contract.
Learn more: https://t.co/68RKT2tgwH pic.twitter.com/1SjSO4GV9O
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 20, 2025
A road littered with pitfalls
It all began like a modern fairy tale. Second pick behind Anthony Edwards. Otherworldly body. Promises everywhere. Golden State saw the missing inside heir. But the knees went, then the confidence, then the minutes. Steve Kerr’s demanding schemes chewed up a kid who was still raw. Repeated injuries snuffed the spark.
Sent to Detroit, then to Indiana, Wiseman never found a lasting spot. Too soft on defense, too hesitant on offense, he went from projected franchise player to a center hunting a role. The axe fell: released. Rarely has a top pick crashed so fast.
Still, he didn’t bail. Away from the cameras he rebuilt his body, reworked his footwork, simplified his game. He waited for an opening. It showed up. Now it’s time for proof, not talk.
A golden chance
Ten days. Nothing in the span of a career. But in the NBA jungle every second becomes vital. Wiseman knows it. It’s on him to impose his presence, set solid screens, run the floor like a man who’s starving. They’re not asking him to be an All-Star. Just do the job. Rebound. Protect the rim. Finish clean. Not glamorous. Essential.
His size, mobility and touch are still real. If he can steady his basketball IQ and cut avoidable fouls, he can be a real rotation option again. The league loves to recycle athletic talent that hasn’t said its last word. Wiseman is only 24. We forget that too often.
Gabe McGlothan, back behind the scenes
Meanwhile, Gabe McGlothan heads back to the G-League. Less noisy, less expected, but not finished. The development league is a lab. Repetition of games, systems that fit, an environment made for tinkering. Plenty have found themselves there before walking back through the front door.
For McGlothan it’s a detour. He’ll need to widen his offensive toolkit, prove he’s more than just an energy guy. The G-League can sharpen him, help him see where his strengths slot into an NBA context. His story isn’t less interesting. It’s just being written out of the spotlight for now.
A future to rewrite
The next few days will tell if Wiseman can finally turn promise into measurable production. If it goes well, this ten-day deal could open doors. If not, he’ll go back to fighting. But this time the big man looks tougher mentally.
The NBA loves dramatic comebacks. Forgotten players, retaken, revealed. Wiseman wants his name on that list. One thing’s clear: the lights are back on him, and he can’t duck them any longer.
So we watch. We wait. We study every rebound, watch every screen with hope. Basketball likes redemption. James Wiseman is scribbling a new line.
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