Indiana Pacers fans knew this day might come, and on Monday night, it officially did.
The Pacers waived big man James Wiseman, trimming their center-by-committee to three players. Furthermore, the team signed guard and three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Mac McClung in an effort to bolster their heavily depleted backcourt.
The Pacers' James Wiseman decision is a bit of an interesting one
In a strange way, this move is a bit of a surprise while also not being a surprise at all.
On one hand, most people knew Indiana was not going to have four centers on the roster for the entire season. It was a good decision heading into the season, given how messy the team's center situation was, but over time, this would have just been a wasted roster spot.
Plus, with all the injuries the Pacers are dealing with, particularly regarding their guards, they needed to add a reinforcement sooner rather than later, and moving on from one of their centers was always the likeliest option.
It's also not as though Wiseman looked great either. He mostly struggled in preseason and was a DNP in two of Indiana's first three games. And, in the one game he did play, he left a lot to be desired on the court. In a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Nashville native recorded four points on 2-for-3 shooting, four rebounds, one block, and three turnovers in 20 minutes.
On the other hand, though, it is also very telling that the Pacers cut ties with Wiseman, and not Tony Bradley.
It always seemed like Bradley was the odd man out. He had the least amount of upside of the Pacers' four centers, and he was basically their backup's backup's backup last season (Jahlil Okafor walked so he could run). But he played well enough in the playoffs to earn another tryout with the team.
That's all it looked like it was going to be, though.
Furthermore, while Wiseman was on a partially guaranteed contract, Bradley was fully non-guaranteed. The Pacers could have moved from him and saved more money, yet they opted to move on from the former No. 2 overall pick instead.
To be clear, this is not the wrong move. Bradley has looked better in every way, particularly defensively and on the boards. Through three games this season, he is averaging 6.3 points and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 81.8% from the field on 3.7 attempts.
The UNC alum has earned his spot with the team, which unfortunately means the end of the Wiseman Era in Indiana is upon us. Again.
It remains to be seen what is next in store for Wiseman. Though it didn't work out in Indiana, that doesn't mean he can't figure things out elsewhere as he looks to shed his "bust" label.
Wiseman may not have been great with the Pacers (in the two games he played), but there is still a lot to like about him. He is still just 24 years old and possesses great size at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds. Additionally, he is incredibly athletic, brings a lot of energy on the court, and he is improving in many areas, especially as a defender.
Pacers fans may want to keep an eye on Wiseman as he looks to continue his NBA career. He did not do much on the court, but he is an easy player to root for, and at this point, he is the ultimate underdog. And that is something Pacers fans can relate to.