Warriors' James Wiseman Suffers Setback in Knee Injury Recovery

The Golden State Warriors shut down second-year big man James Wiseman temporarily because of swelling in his right knee, according to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II and Anthony Slater.

Thompson and Slater wrote that the Warriors haven't ruled out Wiseman for the season but that the odds of him getting on the floor for Golden State are getting increasingly slim.

The Warriors announced Wednesday they were recalling Wiseman from their NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. However, NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson noted the plan for the 20-year-old was to have him suit up for Santa Cruz on Sunday against the Salt Lake City Stars.

Wiseman averaged 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 39 games as a rookie before undergoing season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus. 

His 2021-22 debut was delayed by a second procedure on his knee in December.

Wiseman seemed to be making progress this spring, with head coach Steve Kerr telling reporters on March 3 that his recovery was "really going smoothly":

The 7'0" center made his first appearance for Santa Cruz on March 10, which was another sign of his improvement. In two G League games, he averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 boards and shot 56.0 percent from the floor.

While the Warriors have their sights set on a championship, Kerr has managed to work first-round draft picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody into the rotation on a regular basis. That has helped Golden State balance both its short-term aims and the development of the two rookies.

Wiseman certainly would've provided some nice depth at center behind Kevon Looney if he had been healthy from the outset. He also could've used this season to either cement himself as a key piece of the long-term foundation or at least showcase himself as a trade target for other teams.

Instead, Wiseman is potentially facing a lost year of his career at an inopportune time.