The Golden State Warriors will not be getting James Wiseman back, as the former No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is set to miss the rest of the season rehabbing his knee.
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The Warriors have been without Wiseman since April of last year when he suffered a torn meniscus. His 2021-22 debut was delayed by a second procedure on his knee in December.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday that the Warriors are looking at the big picture with regard to Wiseman, and since they don't view him as a critical part of a potential championship run this season, they can afford to take their time rehabbing him in preparation for next season.
ESPN Sources: Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will continue rehabilitating his right knee. Wiseman has been recovering from a meniscus repair last April, and the team has been cautious to protect him for the long-term.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2022
"He's kind of walked up to the doorstep of contact and each time the knee has reacted a little bit and told his body and our staff: You're not quite ready yet," Bob Myers told The Athletic in early February. "With a meniscal repair, you are at the mercy of how your body is going to react to that. Nobody in their right mind would push through with that in a young kid. We certainly wouldn't do that early in his career."
Earlier this month, Wiseman made his G League debut with the Santa Cruz Warriors as he ramped up his workload in a bid to return to the NBA this season. After two games, he experienced swelling in his right knee, leading the Warriors to temporarily sit him down before Friday's decision to shut him down.
In two games with Santa Cruz, Wiseman averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Wiseman averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 39 games as a rookie before the knee surgery ended his season.
