The main reason most New York Knicks fans will pay attention to training camp and the preseason is to see who makes the roster. A training camp battle is taking place to determine who will become their 14th—and likely final—player on the standard roster.
One of those options is James Wiseman. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the 25-year-old big man seems to have the early clubhouse lead to make the team. Bondy wrote:
“Wiseman has impressed in camp, according to witnesses, and should be the favorite.”
A lot can change, but Wiseman being the early favorite makes plenty of sense.
Numerous reasons why Wiseman is seen as the favorite
Wiseman hasn’t exactly lived up to his draft billing. If he had, he wouldn’t need to take part in a training camp battle. In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Wiseman with the second overall pick.
He’ll compete with the Knicks for that opening night roster spot. That high draft pedigree means he has the highest ceiling among those attempting to make the team, especially since he is still rather young. Some other players vying for the roster spot include Drew Eubanks, Tony Bradley, Bruce Brown, and Ochai Agbaji. If Wiseman is chosen, he wouldn’t be the first lottery pick seeking a fresh start with New York.
Standing at 6-foot-11, Wiseman also fits the Knicks’ biggest need: a third center. They don’t have an obvious “next man up” currently on the roster to play center minutes if Karl-Anthony Towns or Andre Drummond are out of action.
Plus, head coach Mike Brown is familiar with Wiseman from their past. Brown was part of Steve Kerr’s assistant coaching staff in Golden State when the young center first joined the league.
As Bondy also mentions, though, preseason games remain. Wiseman needs to show New York on the court why they should keep him. The Knicks have five preseason outings on the schedule, starting Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers and ending on October 15 against the Detroit Pistons.
Wiseman’s first preseason appearance will be his first game action in nearly 9.5 months. He has been limited to just five regular season outings with the Indiana Pacers over the last two years. He tore his Achilles during the season opener of the 2024-25 season.
Indiana signed Wiseman to another 10-day contract last December, but let him go after four games. Previously, a torn meniscus sidelined him for the entire 2021–22 season.
So, there is some risk in holding onto him. Still, given his upside, ability to help fill a need, and familiarity with the head coach, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Wiseman on the opening-night roster. It may be the exact type of swing the Knicks need after losing Mitchell Robinson to the second apron.
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