A convulated effort to rebuild didn’t just put the Warriors dynasty in trouble. It may have altered some very promising NBA careers. Now the Golden State Warriors have effectively axed the two timelines strategy that hurt Stephen Curry’s current window by sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta. But someone who was poised to be a franchise centrepiece has gone on a completely different trajectory long before the Warriors’ failure to secure their future.

James Wiseman’s NBA journey has often been defined by the heavy burden of expectation and the sting of bad timing. Drafted second overall in 2020 by the Golden State Warriors, Wiseman was once viewed as the bridge to the franchise’s future in the two-timelines project. But that turned into him becoming the ‘biggest mistake’ of the dynasty by jeopardizing Curry’s window and wasting younger players’ potential.

Did that impact Wiseman negatively? Only on the hardwood. He’s gone back to his roots and is actually thriving. After a series of devastating injuries and being waived by the Indiana Pacers just after Christmas 2025, Wiseman is now turning heads with a creative pivot into a burgeoning career in hip-hop.

Recent social media videos have surfaced showing the 6’11” center showcasing his lyrical flow. His style is not quite Shaq Diesel or Dame Dolla. But it’s serving Lonzo Ball without the marketing.

The songs and lyrical density far exceed the quality of his videos. He barely lip-syncs to them while vibing in a living room. No music video gimmicks. Plain sound and fun.

This isn’t a sudden whim while he rehabs from ligament tears. Wiseman has maintained an active presence on SoundCloud for years and has 150 tracks and counting. He had been inactive on it till 2024. But once he was waived, he dropped two whole albums in 2026.

It of course sparks the question if he’s completely done with basketball and turning to music now.

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Wiseman’s career shift is rooted in a staggering run of misfortune. From his eligibility scandal at Memphis to a torn meniscus that forced him to watch the Warriors’ 2022 championship from the sidelines, the center has rarely found stable ground. Most recently, Wiseman’s tenure with the Indiana Pacers was cut short by a torn Achilles on opening night, leading to his eventual release while he was still on a 10-day hardship contract.

“Just being able to have resilience and be able to persevere through adversity is what matters,” Wiseman told The Athletic. Interestingly, he said nothing about music in that March 2 interview. He had already released his two albums, “THE SKATE OF LIFE,” and “26’ Til Infinity,” on Soundcloud by then.

The interview dove into Wiseman’s NBA career that began with the Warriors’ strategic shift after the 2018 title. While focusing on the core Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green squad, the front office recruited young talent to continue the momentum when these vets call it a career. Wiseman was one of the first recruits in this dual timeline strategy, selected over talents like Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball.

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However, injuries never let Wiseman’s potential in the Bay materialize while Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski outran him. Regardless of the injuries, he was not a match for Steve Kerr’s Curry-centric system and he didn’t get the development he needed before he was traded away.

His recent influx of rap content suggests a man embracing a new identity after the “mental grind” of his NBA career reached a breaking point. “This whole process, honestly, it’s definitely been down a lot,” Wiseman admitted to The Athletic regarding his basketball journey. But his musical output reveals a resilient spirit searching for a voice outside of the “bust” narrative that has trailed him since leaving Golden State.

At 24, he’s not necessarily done in basketball. Whether the rap videos are a permanent career pivot or a therapeutic outlet, Wiseman remains “patient” and “persistent” as he waits for his next NBA call.