James Wiseman’s time with the Indiana Pacers was much shorter than intended after he tore his Achilles in his first game after scoring a quick six points in five minutes.
And now the Pacers have traded him away at the final moments of the NBA trade deadline along with cash to the Toronto Raptors for a heavily-protected 2026 second-round pick that will never convey to the Pacers unless the Raptors finish as a top-5 team next year. Tony East of Forbes was the first to report all of the details of the trade.
It’s a bummer for Wiseman who never had a chance to develop as planned with Indiana but a necessary move for the Pacers as they open up a roster spot and give themselves a ton of flexibility heading into the rest of the season to add a player without going into the luxury tax.
Eventually the Pacers are likely to add a third center but they have time before they need to make any decisions and could go about this in many ways. They can utilize 10-day contracts as needed, wait for the buyout market at the end of the month, or convert a 2-way contract for the final 15th roster spot. With Isaiah Jackson also out for the season and James Johnson’s contributions found in the locker room and not on the court, the Pacers couldn’t go into the postseason with 1/5 of the 15-man roster unable to contribute if needed.
To discuss all things James Wiseman, the moves around the league at the deadline, why Myles Turner trade rumors never made any sense this time around, and how some of these trades affect the Pacers, I joined Tony East on the latest episode of Locked on Pacers.
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