Former No. 2 pick James Wiseman earns Knicks' final roster spot
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The gist
The Knicks waived guard Bruce Brown, giving center James Wiseman the 14th and final roster spot.
Wiseman, the 2020 No. 2 pick, played just five NBA games in two seasons.
Background
James Wiseman is a 25-year-old center and the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, taken by the Golden State Warriors. His career has been derailed by injuries: a severe knee injury cost him about a year and a half with Golden State, and he played just five games over the last two seasons, including an Achilles tear in his first game with the Indiana Pacers in 2024. The Knicks, the defending NBA champions, needed center depth after Mitchell Robinson left for the Celtics in free agency and Ariel Hukporti, last year's third center, left for the 76ers and is out for the year with a torn Achilles. New York signed Wiseman to an Exhibit 9 training camp contract (a non-guaranteed deal for camp) that they planned to convert into a league minimum deal.
How it unfolded
- 2020The Warriors selected Wiseman with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
- 2022 -23He returned to Golden State in a much more limited role before being traded to the Detroit Pistons.
- 2023 -24With Detroit he averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 63 appearances, his last regular rotation season.
- 2024He tore his Achilles in the first game of the 2024 season after joining the Indiana Pacers and was out for the year.
- Oct 2, 2026The New York Post's Stefan Bondy reported Wiseman had become the front-runner for the Knicks' final roster spot after impressing in camp.
- Oct 5, 2026In the Knicks' preseason opener in Philadelphia, he had eight points, five rebounds and a block in nine minutes of a 120-97 loss to the 76ers.
- Oct 13, 2026Wiseman was battling Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley for the Knicks' final roster spot.
- Oct 15, 2026The Knicks waived Eubanks (torn pectoral muscle), Bradley and wing Ochai Agbaji, leaving Wiseman and guard Bruce Brown as the last two camp invites.
- Oct 17, 2026The Knicks waived Bruce Brown, meaning Wiseman took the 14th and final roster spot.
- Oct 19, 2026Wiseman earned a roster spot to start the 2026-27 campaign after playing just five NBA games in the last two seasons.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Lee Escobedo of The KOT Show called Wiseman the leading candidate for the final spot as a third center, fitting the offense as a rim runner and lob threat with soft touch inside 10 feet.
- Caution
- Escobedo flagged concerns over choppy footwork, low block and steal numbers, and two Achilles injuries since October 2024.
- Support
- Shaz Ally of Sports Illustrated said Wiseman has shown enough to beat out his competition, and at 25 there is potential for a long-term stay with continued progression.
- Analysts
- Robby Kalland of CBS Sports said Wiseman will provide frontcourt depth for the reigning champions and could see regular-season action as the team manages minutes after a championship run.
Still unverified
The Knicks were unable to finalize a trade to make room on the roster and were forced to waive Bruce Brown; New York liked Brown but needed to trade a player on a standard contract to stay below the second apron (the NBA's upper payroll limit) to keep both Brown and Wiseman, and couldn't find a trade partner.