The Indiana Pacers brought James Wiseman back on a 10-day deal Friday, using the NBA’s hardship exception to shore up their frontcourt after a recent run of injuries.
Indiana immediately placed the 7-foot center on the active list for Friday night’s game in New Orleans. Wiseman was waived in late October when the Pacers needed a roster spot to add backcourt help, a move that left him “devastated,” he said.
“He’s been in California working out and playing pickup,” head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “We put him through a workout this morning—he looks great. He’s not in NBA game shape yet, but for someone in his situation he’s got a pretty good head start.”
Wiseman opened the season as Indiana’s starting center on Oct. 25 against Memphis, his first appearance since tearing his Achilles tendon on opening night of the 2024-25 season. When injuries hit guards Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin days later, the Pacers elected not to carry four centers and parted ways with Wiseman.
He returned to Indianapolis to regroup with family before relocating to Irvine, Calif., where he spent the past three weeks in daily pickup games and workouts. The Pacers called Thursday after reserve center Tony Bradley sustained a fracture at the tip of his thumb.
Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson are expected to log most of the minutes at center during Wiseman’s 10-day stint. Bradley believes he can play with a splint, but the injury limits his ball-handling and shooting.
Wiseman said he is prepared for any role. “I’m going to play my hardest and leave everything on the floor,” he noted. “Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
