James Wiseman couldn't be more determined to earn his place back in the league after signing a 10-day deal with the Indiana Pacers.
James Wiseman is determined to make the most out of his opportunities as he returns to the NBA.
It was announced Saturday that the Indiana Pacers have signed the big man via a 10-day deal, and the former No. 2 pick desires nothing but to prove he belongs in the league.
"I motivated myself knowing there was going to be another way around," Wiseman told the Indianapolis Star's Dustin Dopirak. "So you just gotta keep working and stay ready. ... I'm gonna go out there and play my (expletive) hardest. Leave it all out there on the floor. Whatever they want me to do I'm gonna do it. Still enjoy it at the same time and go out there and just play."
Wiseman finds himself back in Indiana after previous commitments with the franchise. It all began last year when he inked a two-year contract, but he only appeared in one game after suffering a season-ending torn Achilles injury.
The 24-year-old got traded to the Raptors in 2024-25 midseason and was subsequently released. He went on to spend his rehabilitation process within the Pacers facility.
Upon making a full recovery, he re-signed with the Pacers this past offseason in a non-guaranteed deal. Yet after just playing a single game, Indiana eventually waived him out of their already loaded frontcourt.
But this weekend, Wiseman earned another nod from the Pacers via a 10-day deal, replacing backup center Tony Bradley. Due to the team's long injury list, the center managed to return via Indiana's hardship exception.
Wiseman already became available for Indiana this weekend against the New Orleans Pelicans, finishing with six points and three boards in 15 minutes on the team's 128-109 loss.
"It's a quick turnaround," Wiseman said. "But I was just blessed to even get the call. It's hard to maintain being in the league. Just being blessed to get the opportunity is a blessing."
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