James Wiseman has a number of things going for him as he fights to get a standard contract from the New York Knicks. They need another center, and well, he’s a center. He is familiar with head coach Mike Brown from their time together with the Golden State Warriors. Oh, and it turns out he’s playing pretty well to start training camp.
All of these factors matter. Yet, the truth is Wiseman may have sewn up the third-center spot before ever signing a camp deal by virtue of being only 25 years old.
Prior to settling on their preseason-invite list, the Knicks apparently “told some potential free agents” that they were in the market “for a big man on the younger side,” according to Ian Begley of SNY. At 25 years old, with an Achilles injury in his rear view, Wiseman doesn’t perfectly align with that plan. But nobody else in training camp comes closer than him to checking the “youthful big” box.
Drew Eubanks is 29, and will turn 30 before the trade deadline. Tony Bradley is 28, going on 29 in early January. Wiseman will not celebrate his 26th birthday until the end of March.
Unless New York is preparing to pivot off its initial stance or make another move, it has just one center who maybe, quite possibly, comes with untapped upside.
Betting on Wiseman is what end-of-bench roster spots are for
Giving the 14th standard-contract slot to Eubanks or Bradley would be the safe choice. Both of them, as established veterans, offer a guaranteed baseline.
Wiseman, on the other hand, is a wild card. He has always tantalized with his physical tools, but the athleticism doesn’t pop in the same way since his Achilles tear. He has questionable hands, and isn’t much of a ball-mover. The defense has always lagged behind his physical profile, and he doesn’t usually make up for it by at least blocking a ton of shots.
Still, we are talking about the 14th roster spot. The Knicks aren’t going to rely on whomever bags that gig unless something goes terribly, horribly, mind-meltingly bad, or the player becomes undeniable during practice and garbage-time reps.
As things currently stand, people around the team already believe Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara will struggle to get regular minutes. If they aren’t in line to see the floor barring injury, there is no point in playing it safe with the next signing.
Taking a flier on the long-shot project with an undefined ceiling, in this case, beats traversing familiar territory. The Knicks know, for the most part, what they’re getting in Bradley or Eubanks. Neither one of them has a pathway to doing more than, ever so slightly, knifing into Andre Drummond’s minutes total.
In all likelihood, the same thing can be said of Wiseman. It didn’t work out in Golden State. Or in Detroit. Or in Indiana. He probably won’t go kaboom in New York.
At the same time, if you squint hard enough, you can see Wiseman bringing more defensive mobility and versatility, as well as better pick-and-rolling finishing, than Drummond. Yes, his unactualized potential may never be more than just that. The fact he has any at all, though, fits what the Knicks reportedly wanted—and is exactly what the 14th roster spot should be used for.
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