$Signed a one-year, $2.24 million contract with the Pacers in July of 2024. Contract includes $2.55 million team option for 2025-26.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Wiseman was born Mar. 31, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the son of Donzaleigh Artis and has one older sister. Wiseman started high school at The Ensworth School in Nashville before transferring to Memphis East High School, where he was coached by former NBA guard Penny Hardaway for his junior season. Wiseman averaged 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina, helping the team win a gold medal over Canada. As a senior in high school, he was a consensus five-star recruit, and most recruiting services ranked him No. 1 in the 2019 class. Wiseman played for Hardaway again in college at Memphis, as the former NBA player had become the Tigers' head coach. Outside of basketball, Wiseman speaks Mandarin, reads Kobe Bryant's books and wants to own fast-food restaurants. Fans can follow the Nashville native on Twitter @BigTicket_JW and on Instagram @bigticket_j13. Wiseman ended up appearing in just three games for the Memphis Tigers and head coach Penny Hardaway, but it was easy to see why he was one of the top-rated prospects in his class. The preseason American Conference Player of the Year, Wiseman made his collegiate debut Nov. 5 against South Carolina State, racking up 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in only 22 minutes. He followed that up with 17 points and nine rebounds the following contest against UIC. Questions about his eligibility then surfaced, but Hardaway allowed him to appear in one more game Nov. 12 against Oregon. In his only test against a Power-5 opponent, Wiseman put up 14 points, 12 rebounds and a pair of blocks. He was then shut down and given a reinstatement date of Jan. 12, but at that point, Wiseman had decided that NBA scouts had seen enough. He officially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft on Dec. 19, focusing his efforts for the rest of the season on preparations to play professionally.
Undergoes successful surgery
CIndiana Pacers
Out For Season
October 25, 2024
Wiseman underwent successful surgery to repair a torn left Achilles on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS While the timetable for Wiseman's return is expected to be established in the coming weeks, his 2024-25 campaign is almost certainly over. Isaiah Jackson (groin), Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker are now Indiana's primary bench options in the frontcourt.
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2020
Stat Review
How does James Wiseman compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
61.5%
Effective Field Goal %
50.0%
3-Point Attempt Rate
25.0%
Free Throw Rate
50.0%
Offensive Rebound %
0.0%
Defensive Rebound %
21.6%
Total Rebound %
11.3%
Assist %
0.0%
Steal %
0.0%
Block %
0.0%
Turnover %
0.0%
Usage %
42.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
7.2
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.4
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Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Pacers Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when James Wiseman was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
After another disappointing season, Wiseman's role in Detroit is no clearer than it was when he was traded. Although he was given an opportunity to prove himself to close the season, he fell short despite starting in 22 games down the stretch. In that span, he was barely inside the top 300 in standard leagues, averaging 13.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. At this point, he is a much worse version of Deandre Ayton, with very little upside to improve anytime soon. Jalen Duren appears to be the center of the future in Detroit, meaning Wiseman is likely to be the backup. He also has to contend with Marvin Bagley and Isaiah Stewart, both of whom can be utilized at the center position. At this point, there is no reason to draft Wiseman outside of very deep leagues.
Wiseman -- the second overall pick from 2020 -- appeared in just 39 games as a rookie in 2020-21 due to COVID protocols and a wrist injury. In mid-April of that season, he suffered a torn meniscus. His timeline kept getting pushed back further and further, and he had to undergo a second cleanup surgery in January of last season. He eventually saw some action in the G League but suffered a setback in March, which ended his season before he ever got a chance to see NBA minutes. All signs indicate Wiseman is ready to step back on the court this year, mainly since he played in four Summer League games, averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.3 assists in 19.9 minutes. Those numbers are underwhelming given his pedigree, but the long layoff has to be considered. Wiseman will presumably come off the bench behind Kevon Looney to start the season, and he'll also have to compete with Draymond Green, who sees plenty of action at the five. Wiseman should, in theory, be able to steal minutes from Looney, but the veteran has the trust of coach Steve Kerr. It's hard to dissuade fantasy managers from gambling on Wiseman at the end of standard league drafts, but patience will be key. As it stands, he's more intriguing in dynasty/keeper leagues as a buy low.
The second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman's rookie season was somewhat of a disappointment. He appeared in just 39 games (27 starts) due to multiple injuries and COVID-19 protocols, and he tore his meniscus in mid-April. The center saw 21.4 minutes per game and averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and a combined 1.2 blocks-plus-steals. He shot a solid 51.9 percent from the field and showed off some ability to stretch the floor by going 12-of-38 (31.6%) from deep. While the overall numbers are underwhelming, it's important to remember the context of Wiseman's rookie season. He played just three collegiate games, didn't get a Summer League and missed much of training camp due to what is presumed to be an absence due to contracting COVID-19. Wiseman's offensive repertoire also doesn't mesh well alongside Draymond Green, who isn't a floor-spacer and spends much of his time at center. The Warriors also boast a great, but complicated system that isn't easy to integrate into, especially for a 19-year-old basically playing his first competitive basketball since his senior year of high school. The reasons to believe in Wiseman's potential are still there -- mainly, the elite athleticism that will lead to easy lob dunks and sets him up for good block numbers. Bigger questions remain about his shooting ability and potential to post up, but those are skills Wiseman has plenty of time to develop as a now-20-year-old. The fit with the Warriors is still subpar, but his pedigree makes him worthy of consideration with the final pick in a standard fantasy draft.
Wiseman is a great athlete at the center position, and he stands at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. During his three collegiate appearances at Memphis, he averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 23.0 minutes. Aside from his defense and rebounding, Wiseman's initial role on the Warriors will likely be that of a screen-and-roller who can finish around the basket with good touch and throw down lob dunks. He also has the upside to develop into a post-up option and maybe a mid-range jump-shooter. As a rookie for Golden State, Wiseman will be reportedly fighting for the starting center job, but he should see minutes in the mid-to-upper-20s regardless of outcome. For fantasy purposes, he should be a good source of rebounding, blocks and field-goal percentage, assuming he keeps his shot selection clean.
More Fantasy News
Suffers torn Achilles
CIndiana Pacers
Out For Season
October 24, 2024
The Pacers announced Thursday that Wiseman has suffered a torn left Achilles, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
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Won't return Wednesday
CIndiana Pacers
Out For Season
October 23, 2024
Wiseman has been ruled out for the remainder of Wednesday's game against the Pistons due to a left calf injury, Pat Boylan of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
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ANALYSIS Myles Turner is locked in as the starter, but Wiseman is making a strong push for the No. 2 spot in the paint over Isaiah Jackson. Wiseman, who dealt with a groin injury at the beginning of training camp, signed a two-year minimum salary contract with Indiana in July after averaging 17.3 minutes over 63 games for the Pistons in 2023-24, producing 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks a game.