Pacers announce one signing and two waivers! Wiseman unemployed again in less than a week; former second overall pick now worse than an undrafted player

On December 27th Beijing time, the Pacers officially announced the release of center James Wiseman. This personnel change coincided with the previously announced signing of Mika Porter and the waiving of Garrison Matthews.

Wiseman appeared in one game for the Pacers at the end of October, then on December 21 signed a 10-day contract using a hardship exception. According to salary expert Max, Wiseman’s 10-day deal has been terminated without going through the player waiver process, and he will still receive his full contract salary.

Since signing last week, Wiseman played in three games for the Pacers, averaging 13.0 minutes per game and totaling 9 points. The Pacers reported that the team currently does not have access to a new hardship exception.

Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 draft. He signed with the Pacers last season but only played 5 minutes before suffering a torn Achilles tendon, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Now 24 years old, Wiseman’s career averages are 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game.

This situation is truly unfortunate; the former second overall pick is now performing worse than an undrafted player (Mika Porter). After going undrafted, Porter started his NBA career with the Pistons in the 2021-22 season, then spent three years on a two-way contract with the Jazz. He has appeared in 64 NBA regular-season games, averaging 15.2 minutes, 3.9 points, and 3.6 rebounds per game.

In August this year, Porter signed a training camp contract with the San Antonio Spurs but was waived before the season began. He is currently playing for the Austin Spurs, the Spurs’ G League affiliate, where he averages 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds over 13 games.