LAS VEGAS — A lot of people come to the desert hoping to win big and head home with a nice payday, and Joe Wieskamp is no different.
But instead of feeding slot machines or spending long nights at the blackjack table or a sportsbook, the third-year pro is playing a longer game, though not with house money.
Since joining the Toronto Raptors last January on the first of two, 10-day contracts before eventually being signed for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, the sharp-shooter from the University of Iowa has been on an extended job interview. Should he continue to impress the rewards are both tangible and lucrative: a guaranteed contract for the 2023-24 season worth $1.9 million.
The timing is critical too, as Wieskamp and his university-hoops sweetheart/now wife (they met when each was starting for the Hawkeyes) is due with their first child in November.
He has until July 18th to prove himself worth the Raptors committing a roster spot, which makes his appearance on the Summer League team in Las Vegas his version of the Super Bowl. If Wieskamp is on the roster on July 19th, he’s a made man. If he’s not, his NBA odyssey continues.
There’s no dancing around it. It’s a lot of pressure for the third-year pro, who was taken 41stoverall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2021 draft. He had his two-way contract converted to a regular deal towards the end that season, only to be waived on the eve of the 2022-23 season by the Spurs.
He’s not at Summer League trying to gain experience or hone some developing skill. He’s competing for a job.
“I mean, it’s important for me to come out and just be aggressive, play my game and showcase what I can do,” Wieskamp said on Saturday as the Raptors practised prior to the second game of the Summer League schedule, slated for Sunday afternoon at Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. “I mean, they’re watching everything; practices; I was there [in Toronto]for three weeks, this summer in June in May. So every day is, you know, they’re evaluating me and so I just gotta put my best foot forward.”
He had eight points and was 1-of-3 from three in the Raptors’ loss to the Chicago Bulls in their summer league opener on Friday.
On paper, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard and the Raptors should make for a good fit. The Raptors — you may have heard — have been one of the worst shooting teams in basketball the past two seasons. In 2022-23 they ranked 28th in three pointers made and three-point percentage, and if anything their roster of capable shooters took another hit when Fred VanVleet signed with the Houston Rockets in free agency, taking his team-best 207 made threes with him.
Drafting Gradey Dick with the 13th pick out of Kansas should help, but it might take time for the 19-year-old to find his footing in the NBA. There is room for someone like Wieskamp to carve out a role.
“I feel like [it’s a good opportunity] for sure,” said Wieskamp, who shot 46.2 per cent in his last year of college and 37.8 per cent in 32 G-League games over two seasons. “I feel like I can space the floor. Obviously we have a lot of playmakers — Scottie and Pascal, guys like that — that can get in the paint and draw double teams. And I can space the floor and knock down the shot. So that’s what I’ve been trying to showcase and hopefully I can get a chance to do that next season.”
He showed some flashes last season, most notably when he came off the bench and hit all three of his threes in his first appearance as a Raptor in what ended up being a loss to Minnesota. After that playing time was sparse as the Raptors were grinding to make the playoffs and played a tight rotation. But Toronto had chances to release Wieskamp — most notably when they considered converting Jeff Dowtin Jr.’s two-way contract, but didn’t have a roster spot — but chose to stick with him.
A lot will depend on how Wieskamp performs at Summer League. With the departure of former head coach Nick Nurse and the arrival of Darko Rajakovic and a completely revamped staff, Wieskamp — like everyone else — is starting from scratch.
Fortunately, he’s got some experience, which is the plight of the journeyman pro. He’s played for two NBA teams, three different coaching staffs and three different G-League teams since he was drafted in 2021.
“It’s a blessing and a curse just being on multiple different teams,” he said. “You have to [adapt]… like coming to the Raptors mid-season. I had to pick up their new plays and everything quickly. So it’s really nothing new to me just trying to learn quick. Just be a sponge, listen to whatever they’re saying, just try to remember it and don’t make the same mistake if you do make it once.”
The one mistake he is trying not to make is to make the whole process bigger than it is. Yes, he’s playing for a job and a nearly $2 million payday, but focusing on it isn’t going to help.
“You kind of learn it’s a cutthroat business and have to perform, but I feel it’s too overwhelming if you think big picture and like ‘Oh, I gotta wait until like my guaranteed day’ or ‘I gotta wait until the season’s first game [to relax]’. But my mentality is trying to take it one day at a time and — just like coach always said — just win the day. If you can become a better player the next day, then it’s gonna amount to more down the road. So I feel like if you just kind of keep that short-term mindset, where you’re just focused on each day, then I think won’t allow you to get too overwhelmed.”
It hasn’t been easy.
“My whole life I’ve been a planner,” he said. “Like I love having my days planned out. But now I’ve just come to realize … you got to expect the unexpected and just be ready for whatever, so I definitely have adapted in that way.”
The hope is the experience will pay off and Wieskamp will be one of the lucky ones to leave Vegas a winner. After all, in this case baby really does need a new pair of shoes.
