James Wiseman has turned a Knicks training camp opportunity into something bigger than a simple look-see.
According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the former No. 2 pick has emerged as the “frontrunner” for New York’s 14th, and likely final, roster spot after standing out in camp.
“Wiseman has impressed in camp, according to witnesses, and should be the favorite…w an important caution: They still have to play preseason,” Bondy wrote, via New York Basketball.
That’s a notable development considering the Knicks came into camp with several veteran Exhibit 9 signings in the mix. Wiseman was joined by Bruce Brown Jr., Drew Eubanks, John Konchar and Ochai Agbaji.
Konchar was waived Wednesday because of a personal matter, and Tony Bradley was added after that. Brown initially looked like the cleanest fit, but Bondy noted that New York is focusing on the center spot, which puts Wiseman, Eubanks and Bradley in the clearest competition for the job.
There is also a financial layer to this decision. The Knicks could carry a 15th player, but that would push them into the second apron, something owner James Dolan has made clear won’t happen.
For Wiseman, simply being in this conversation is a turn after a difficult NBA path. Golden State took him with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Memphis, but injuries and inconsistency derailed what once looked like a fast rise.
He missed his sophomore season with a meniscus injury and later tore his Achilles in 2024 while with the Indiana Pacers. Indiana then traded the 25-year-old to the Toronto Raptors in February 2025, brought him back on a two-year deal in July, waived him in October, and later gave him a brief 10-day return in December.
Across just four appearances in 2025-26, Wiseman averaged 3.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.3 blocks for the Pacers.
Even with that résumé, he’s still fighting for another foothold in the league, and the Knicks appear willing to give him a real shot.
Head coach Mike Brown, who spent time as an assistant with the Warriors from 2016 to 2022, knows Wiseman from that stretch and had plenty of praise for him at camp.
“We didn’t stay in touch where we call each other or anything like that, but whenever we saw each other, we obviously acknowledged one another,” Brown said, via the Knicks. “And he’s fantastic human being, fantastic young man. And it was one of the things where I’m sure he wanted the best for me, and I definitely wanted the best for him.
“It’s good to see him in the gym,” Brown continued. “And when you’re that long and that athletic with skill, there’s a place for you in this league, and sometimes it takes the right moment, the right team, the right situation, all that stuff, to be able to fit someplace and grow. And we have a lot of great guys in camp that have the potential of impacting us in a lot of different ways throughout the course of the year, and he’s definitely one of the many guys that we have that we’re excited about.”
Wiseman’s reputation as one of the biggest busts in modern NBA history isn’t going anywhere. But the Knicks’ camp has given him a path back, and preseason will decide whether he can turn that opening into a roster spot. New York opens against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
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James Wiseman May Have Forced His Way Into Knicks Final Roster Spot
James Wiseman arrived to Knicks camp on an Exhibit 9 deal, the kind of low-risk flyer that usually blends into the background once the real roster battles begin. Instead, the former No. 2 pick has put himself into the conversation by flashing the size and mobility that once made him such an intriguing prospect, including a preseason double-double that gave New York another reason to keep looking his way.
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Bruce Brown is still a possibility on the wing, according to James Edwards, but the bigger subplot may be in the middle, where the Knicks are sorting out center depth behind their top group. James Wiseman has reportedly made a strong impression in preseason games, and how New York balances that internal push with any late addition could end up mattering once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]