James Wiseman surprised the NBA world on Thursday when he announced that he will withdraw from the University of Memphis, hire an agent and prepare for the 2020 NBA draft.
Wiseman was serving a 12-game suspension that was slated to end in January. He played in only three college games, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in 23 minutes against South Carolina State, Illinois-Chicago and Oregon.
NBA teams will have a smaller sample of play than expected to evaluate the center, who started the season as our projected No. 1 draft pick and now sits at No. 3. Wiseman's time at Memphis included only one game against high-level competition. During a not overwhelmingly impressive performance in a loss to Oregon, he posted 14 points and 12 rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes.
Here's what ESPN's Mike Schmitz wrote about Wiseman after that Oregon game:
"With several NBA executives in the building, Wiseman's performance varied depending on whom you asked. For those who came in sky-high on the Tigers freshman, his rhythm was taken away by the refs, Memphis' lack of playmaking hurt him, and there was no space for him to function against the zone. Those who came in skeptical were turned off by his sometimes apathetic in-game demeanor and lacking basketball instincts. The truth probably lies somewhere in between."
Teams will also consider Wiseman's performance at Memphis' pro day in October and his strong showings on the high school all-star game circuit this past spring.
Wiseman's decision took Memphis' coaching staff by surprise, a source told ESPN. Sources said Wiseman left the city of Memphis on Thursday and will be taking meetings with agencies next week to decide how to proceed with his preparations for the NBA draft.
NBA executives told ESPN after Wiseman's decision that it is unlikely that he will fall out of the top five of the draft. They don't see too many prospects in this class with enough high-level talent to drop Wiseman further, given his skills and physical tools. The difference between Wiseman going No. 1 and No. 5 represents a real financial disparity, though -- as much as $16.2 million over the course of four years due to the NBA rookie scale, according to information from ESPN's Bobby Marks.
NBA teams are still planning to do a significant amount of background research on Wiseman in order to feel comfortable taking him as high as the top three. They point to questions surrounding Wiseman's time with USA Basketball, when he elected not to participate in basketball activities multiple times without a clear explanation. That earned quite a bit of quiet criticism from the Team USA coaching staff regarding Wiseman's competitiveness and approach to the game.
The fact that Memphis has been undefeated since Wiseman's suspension is something NBA teams will look at as well. Fairly or not, it will raise questions about Wiseman's impact on the court and his confidence in his game that he will need to answer during the pre-draft process.
Wiseman could have significantly helped his draft stock with a strong return and finish to the college season. However, he also could have risked slipping further if Memphis began losing with him on the floor. Leaving Memphis now removes that risk.
One thing helping Wiseman's cause in this draft is the fact that four of the top five players in the latest ESPN mock (including Wiseman) are currently out of action. LaMelo Ball, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton are missing time due to injury. Wiseman might also benefit from the positional scarcity of big men in a draft in which several teams vying for the worst record in the NBA -- including the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks -- could be looking for franchise-caliber big men.