James Wiseman is back on an NBA roster, and this time the path runs through New York.
The Knicks are waiving former Denver Nuggets champion Bruce Brown, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Saturday, which opens the door for Wiseman to claim the team’s final opening night spot ahead of ring ceremony night on Tuesday. For a player whose career looked like it might have stalled out earlier this offseason, the move gives him a fresh chance in the league.
New York had already pared down its group by waiving Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks and Ochai Agbaji earlier in the week. That left the Knicks to choose between Wiseman and Brown, with second apron restrictions making it impossible to keep both. In the end, the team opted for size, keeping Wiseman as a third center behind All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond, who was signed to a minimum contract in free agency.
Wiseman gave the Knicks something to think about in Tuesday’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors, when he started and produced 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting. Even in a 50-point loss, that was one of the few bright spots New York had to hold onto.
He then logged four minutes off the bench in Friday’s final preseason game, finishing with two points and a rebound. Brown did not play in that game after appearing in three earlier preseason outings.
The transaction also puts Wiseman on a regular season roster for the first time since December, when he was waived by the Indiana Pacers. Over the last two years, he has played only five games, a stretch that also included a torn Achilles on opening night of the 2024-25 season.
What makes this situation stand out is where Wiseman landed. He’s not joining a rebuild this time. He’s with the reigning champions, a team aiming to run it back.
That is a very different setup from most of his post-Warriors stops. His time with the Detroit Pistons gave him his biggest opportunity in terms of minutes, but by the time he moved on, that team had started climbing out of the league’s basement.
He technically would have gotten a championship ring if the Pacers had won the Finals in 2025, but he played only one game that season and got injured in it. Even his brief return to Indiana last season came on a lottery team that had been hit hard by injuries.
In Other News...
Draymond Green Gives Warriors Fans Another Reason To Worry
Draymond Greens preseason was supposed to be about getting the Warriors tuned up for the real thing, but there was at least one familiar moment that likely left fans uneasy. During Golden States win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Green picked up a technical foul after arguing with officials over an overturned call involving Stephen Curry, a reminder that his edge can still spill over even in a game that ultimately ended well for the team.
The Warriors closed exhibition play at 4-2 after the 128-118 victory, with Curry leading the way with 20 points and Green putting in a brief but active 12-minute stint that included six rebounds, four assists and two steals. The box score may have looked clean enough, but for a team that leans on Green for tone-setting and stability, even a preseason tech can give fans a pause before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerr Had The Perfect Reaction To A Wild Courtside Lookalike
Preseason games usually offer a few extra storylines, and the Warriors found one on the sideline when Steve Kerr spotted a fan who looked startlingly like him. The coachs on-camera reaction during Golden States matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers captured the kind of amused surprise that instantly plays well on social media, especially when the resemblance is as strong as it was here.
The fan, Steve Gillis, has already drawn attention for looking like Kerr and has spoken publicly about it before, so the moment had a built-in backstory beyond the quick laugh. The clip spread fast online and picked up plenty of views, another reminder that sometimes the most memorable part of a game has nothing to do with the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Have An Intriguing Edge In Karl-Anthony Towns Chase
Golden States center picture remains unsettled enough that the front office could keep watching the market for a major upgrade, and Karl-Anthony Towns is the kind of name that naturally belongs on that list. The Warriors have had interest in him before, and with Towns now drawing attention for his frustration with the Knicks over contract talks, the possibility of a move down the line is hard to ignore. ESPNs Brian Windhorst has already put Golden State among the teams to monitor if Towns becomes available.
There is also a subtle personnel angle that could matter if this ever gets serious. The Warriors would be able to point to Al Horford and Yaxel Lendeborg as fellow players of Dominican heritage, a detail that could help them stand out in a crowded chase. For now it is still only a scenario, but it is the kind of situation worth tracking because Golden State knows it may need a clearer answer in the middle before long. [Read more 🡒]