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The Brooklyn Nets are signing Grant Nelson to their squad on a 10-day contract. Nelson has spent the season with Brooklyn’s G-League squad, the Long Island Nets, on a regular G League contract.
Mike Scotto of Hoopshype was first with the news …
The Nets later confirmed it.
The signing will give the Nets six rookies for at least the next 10 days. Such contracts can be extended a second 10 days, essentially giving Nelson a three-way tryout for the 15th standard contract created at the deadline when the Nets added two players in trades while waiving three players.
Nelson, a 23-year-old seven-foot power forward, went undrafted out of Alabama last June. After playing for the Nets in the Las Vegas Summer League, he signed a non-guaranteed camp deal with Brooklyn in October, but was waived at the end of preseason and assigned to Long Island. He has spent the entirety of his rookie year at Nassau Coliseum.
Following his seven-week layoff due to left knee soreness, Nelson has gotten back on track, despite a minutes restriction. In the 15 games – all starts – since, his per 36 numbers are 24 and 12.
In 23 total outings at the G League level, Nelson has averaged 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.1 minutes per game. He’s made close to 60% of his shots from the floor and over 80% of his shots from the foul stripe.
“I really like the coaching staff,” Nelson told NetsDaily early on in the season. “I like the plan they had. There’s a lot that goes into it. My agent knows a lot more than me, so I just really trusted his plan, and I feel like this is a great spot to be. I like my teammates, coaches, and the system.”
Back in January, ND also spoke with Nelson about his knee injury and how the Brooklyn performance and medical staffs helped resolved it. “I’ve been dealing with knee soreness for I don’t know how many years, really, since I started college. It was kind of just affecting how I was playing, and I had to get it over with and get all the rehab done, and get it back to feeling 100%. The performance staff here did a great job. Everyone really cares about me, and that meant a lot.”
Since he returned from the layoff, Nelson has been on an injury restriction playing between 16 and 27 minutes. In 15 starts, he’s averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Nelson also spoke about his goals, which included a two-way spot with Brooklyn. “That’s been a goal of mine since the Summer right after the draft to get a two-way spot with Brooklyn. I’m still competing for it, and I’m still fighting for it, but hopefully soon.”
Now, though, it appears that Nelson may be trying out for the standard deal. The Nets three two-way slots are all filled.
Nelson, who played three seasons at North Dakota State before transferring to Alabama where he played his final two seasons of college ball was seen as among the most athletic bigs in the NCAA last season, his big moment coming in March Madness vs. Cooper Flagg and Duke…
Nelson also set an NBA Combine record last May in the shuttle run which measures athleticism…
The call-up is a testament to Nelson’s hard work this season, even dealing with a nagging knee injury. He fought through the injury, rehabbed, and played better than he had been.
The deadline for the Nets to sign Nelson to a two-way spot is next Wednesday, March 4 if they chose to retain him as a two-way. The Nets also announced that Ben Saraf is returning from Long Island and Drake Powell will replace him on G League assignment. Saraf has spent the most time in the G League this season with 21 games, Powell the least with two.