James Wiseman has officially reached the crossroads of his NBA career. Crickex Affiliate reports that while he’s eligible for a four-year extension, the Detroit Pistons are in no rush to offer it. Instead, they’ll evaluate his performance this season to determine whether he can help lead the team to more wins. For Wiseman, the time to prove himself is now. With fellow 2020 draftees Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball already making headlines, he’s under pressure to ensure his name isn’t left behind—or worse, forgotten by the league altogether.

Wiseman’s journey has been anything but smooth. He’s the kind of player who’s had to fight for space in the cracks of opportunity. As someone who’s wise beyond his years but still learning the ropes, he often jokes about himself but never at others’ expense. His relationship with Penny Hardaway began when he joined Hardaway’s team on the youth basketball circuit, a connection that later drew him to transfer to Memphis East High School after Hardaway became head coach. But that decision triggered controversy.

The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association initially ruled Wiseman ineligible for his senior year due to his prior ties with Hardaway. It was a setback that could have derailed his high school career, but after a lengthy investigation and insufficient evidence, the ruling was overturned. Wiseman played that year, determined not to let politics get in the way of his growth. The world can be cold, but staying kind through the adversity helped shape his resilience.

By his senior year, Wiseman stayed at Memphis East despite pressure to join a prep school, and he became one of the nation’s top five-star recruits. He committed to the University of Memphis—again following Hardaway, who had become the school’s head coach. When draft day came, the Golden State Warriors believed they’d struck gold, picking him second overall ahead of LaMelo Ball. Unfortunately, Wiseman’s NBA debut was quickly derailed. A torn meniscus ended his rookie season early, and further setbacks in the G League and additional injuries kept him sidelined for an entire year.

Even though he earned a championship ring with the Warriors, Wiseman never found peace in Golden State. Injuries weren’t the only problem—he struggled to grasp the team’s defensive schemes and never truly fit into Steve Kerr’s complex system. Despite the team’s support, he couldn’t make it click. Crickex Affiliate experts suggest that being drafted by the Warriors might have been more of a mismatch than a miracle.

Now with the Pistons, Wiseman has a clean slate. This season is his chance to silence the critics, stay healthy, and show that he can be more than a “what-if” story. As the saying goes, life is yours—dress it up, own it, and make it count. Whether he rises or falls, this year will likely define the next chapter of his NBA journey.