James Wiseman began his sophomore campaign in the NBA with 39 career games played, and he’ll finish it with the same amount of experience.
Wiseman, who tore the meniscus in his right knee last April, was out indefinitely and has now been ruled out for the rest of the 2021-22 season, including playoffs.
The team announced the news on Friday, shortly after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported it.
“We’ve maintained throughout his entire rehabilitation process that we’re going to be patient and look out for James’ best interests in what we anticipate to be a long and successful career,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said in a press release. “As a 20 year-old, his entire career is ahead of him. For us, as an organization, our focus is on James’ long-term health and we’re confident—and our doctors are confident—that this long-term approach will help James become the player we believe he will evolve into when he returns to the court.”
The 20-year-old has been rehabbing his right knee all season. He was close to returning in December, but suffered a setback that required a minor procedure to reduce swelling. Wiseman again was close to returning to game action in February and played three G-League games with the Santa Cruz Warriors. But more issues with his knee surfaced and the Warriors shut the seven-footer down.
At the trade deadline, Warriors officials said they expected Wiseman to return after the All-Star Break and contribute to this team. That’s one of the reasons why they didn’t make a trade or make a move on the buyout market for front court depth.
The injury Wiseman sustained typically carries a recovery timetable of three to six months. Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered the injury in 2019-20 and Memphis took a similarly cautious approach to his recovery, and he returned to the court in roughly nine months. Wiseman will be out for over a year.
In college, Wiseman played just three games before being suspended by the NCAA for accepting money from Memphis coach Penny Hardaway during high school recruiting. That means since 2019, Wiseman has played 45 competitive basketball games (including in the G-League).
The Warriors picked Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 Draft, one slot ahead of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. Wiseman’s physical gifts give him a superstar ceiling, but his injuries have become a major concern.
As the San Francisco Chronicle noted Friday, the Warriors will have to make a decision on Wiseman’s team option for the 2023-24 season by Oct. 31. If the Warriors decline that $12.1 million option, Wiseman would become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
During his rookie season, Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. Without him this year, the Warriors are 48-25, third-best in the Western Conference.
