In a move that could pay dividends in the long run following Myles Turner's shocking departure, the Indiana Pacers are bringing James Wiseman back to the squad on a two-year minimum contract with a team option for the second season (h/t Tony East of Forbes).
The Pacers signed the former No. 2 overall pick last offseason, and while his NBA career had not panned out up to that point, there was still a lot to like about his fit with the team. However, following a solid showing in preseason, Wiseman suffered an Achilles injury in his first regular season game with the Pacers and missed the rest of the season.
Indiana ultimately shipped him out to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the trade deadline before they waived him. Now, the 24-year-old is back with the Pacers and will have a great opportunity to shed his "bust" label and potentially become a long-term asset for the team.
James Wiseman is a low-risk, high-reward signing for Indiana
With Turner officially out of the picture, the Pacers have many questions they need to answer regarding their center position. The team recently acquired Jay Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies, exercised Tony Bradley's team option, and extended a qualifying offer to Isaiah Jackson. However, the starting center for the Pacers next year remains unknown, and it seems like a competition could be in store with Wiseman being the newest contestant.
Wiseman provides tremendous size at 7'1" and can be a solid contributor on the boards (even if his rebounding is a bit underwhelming). Additionally, though it was an incredibly small sample size, he looked solid in Indiana's system last year. Furthermore, the Nashville native is still young and has room to improve, and if there is one team that can get the most out of him, it is the Pacers.
It remains to be seen how he will play in his first game following his Achilles injury, but there are reasons to be excited about Wiseman returning to Indiana. Re-signing him provides no risk for the Pacers, and if he can play like he did during his short stint with the team last year, then Wiseman may be in line for a long-term role with the team.
As the Pacers prepare for their first season without Turner in a decade, it is fair to assume they are going to give opportunities to multiple big men as they look for his replacement. To begin, they will likely run a committee at center to see who sticks out the most. Each big man on the Pacers' roster provides a different skillset, and they all provide value in different ways to the team. However, Wiseman may be the most intriguing one due to his size, age, and potential.
The Pacers may not be done making moves to bolster their frontcourt, and a lot can still happen as the offseason is still young. However, bringing Wiseman back into the fold was a great move for the team, and if all goes well for him, he might be in Indiana for the long haul as they look to remain in title contention.