Former NBA Second Overall Pick Receives Devastating News
Indiana Pacers center James Wiseman's once-promising career has hit another setback.
The 7-foot big man tore his left Achilles tendon, the team announced on Thursday, October 24.
Wiseman sustained the injury during the first quarter of the Pacers' 115-109 season-opening road win against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, October 23.
The 23-year-old scored six points on 2-of-4 shooting, made both free-throw attempts, and grabbed one rebound when he went down with a non-contact injury after attempting a three-pointer.
While the Pacers stated that the team and Wiseman are working together to evaluate treatment options, the former lottery pick is likely out for the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season due to the severity of the injury.
James Wiseman Suffers Another Major Injury
Once a highly anticipated lottery pick, Wiseman was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, the former Memphis Tigers standout struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances.
Wiseman suffered a torn right meniscus during the tail-end of his rookie campaign, causing him to miss the entire 2021-22 season—the year the Warriors went on to win their fourth NBA championship of the Stephen Curry era.
After continuing to deliver lukewarm performances upon his return in the 2022-23 season, Wiseman was traded at the February deadline to the Detroit Pistons in a four-team deal.
The Dubs reacquired guard Gary Payton II in the trade, signaling they had essentially moved on from the former No. 2 pick.
Wiseman's stint with the struggling Detroit Pistons was equally unimpressive. Despite the team finishing with a franchise-worst 14-68 record in 2023-24 and setting an NBA single-season record for the longest losing streak at 28 games, the Pistons opted not to re-sign him.
He subsequently signed a two-year minimum contract with the Pacers this past summer.
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