James Wiseman, the 25‑year‑old former Golden State Warriors center, has announced that he will finish his professional career overseas, signing a contract to play in Europe.
Selected by the Warriors with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Wiseman’s two‑year stint in the league was marked by a cascade of injuries that limited him to just four appearances for the Indiana Pacers before he was waived.
A wrist injury forced him to miss most of his rookie preseason, a torn meniscus cut short his first season, and a subsequent Achilles rupture ended his brief tenure with the Pacers after only five minutes of action.
After being traded to the Detroit Pistons and later to the Indiana Pacers, Wiseman managed to play only four games in the 2023‑24 season, a statistic that underscored the cruel irony of a talent repeatedly derailed by physical setbacks.
A fresh start abroad
Misko Raznatovic, Wiseman’s agent, confirmed that the player will continue his career in Europe, a move that offers a clean slate after a tumultuous NBA journey.
The decision comes at a time when former Warriors draft picks have found varying degrees of success overseas; Anthony Randolph, for instance, captured a EuroLeague championship with Real Madrid and a EuroBasket title with Slovenia before turning 30.
Wiseman’s potential move could mirror Randolph’s trajectory, providing a platform to showcase his athleticism and develop a more consistent role away from the NBA’s injury‑prone environment.
The Warriors’ draft history, punctuated by high‑profile selections like Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, has often been described as controversial, with mixed returns on investment and a series of mid‑season trades that reshaped the roster.
While Kuminga was recently dealt to the Atlanta Hawks and Moody endured a severe knee injury, the organization’s ability to nurture talent remains under scrutiny, especially as promising prospects seek new horizons beyond the Bay Area.
At 25, Wiseman still possesses the physical tools that made him a top prospect, and his upcoming European campaign may prove to be the catalyst that revives a career that has been hampered by misfortune.