FARGO — Devils Lake’s Grant Nelson is getting his NBA opportunity.
The former North Dakota State forward landed with the Brooklyn Nets and has a chance to compete for a two-way spot in training camp, HoopsHype NBA Insider Michael Scotto reported Thursday night after the second round of the NBA Draft.
Nelson
discussed his draft prospects on Hot Mic
with Dom Izzo on Thursday morning prior to the second round of the draft.
“There’s interest, a lot, like later in the second round,” Nelson told WDAY’s Izzo. “It’s looking like either second round and then if it comes down to a team I really don’t feel like it fit best with that wants to draft me, I’ll probably just pass up on that … go undrafted, sign a two-way and then I get to kind of choose the position I get put in.”
The 6-foot-11, 230-pound Nelson played his first three college seasons at NDSU. He played his final two college seasons at Alabama, which included an appearance in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball Final Four.
Nelson is attempting to become the fourth North Dakota high school player to play in the NBA. Williston’s Phil Jackson, Grand Forks Central’s Glenn Hansen and Bowbells’ Les Jepsen are the previous three.
The Nets are a rebuilding team with only two notable veterans signed past the 2025-26 season in center Nic Claxton and forward Cameron Johnson. Brooklyn drafted five players Wednesday night in the first two rounds of the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game this past season with the Crimson Tide. In 2023-24, Nelson played a key role in Alabama making the Final Four, losing to eventual national champion Connecticut in the semifinals.
Nelson played 86 games for the Bison, averaging 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds during his NDSU career. In 2022-23, his final with the Bison, he averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game over 30 games.
Nelson said his time at NDSU helped set the stage for his success at Alabama.
“I think that kind of molded me into a player, like hard-working, tough,” Nelson said. “I think that helped me move to the next level.”
Alabama forward Grant Nelson will join the Brooklyn Nets and compete for a two-way spot in training camp, league sources told @hoopshype. Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks for the Crimson Tide last season. pic.twitter.com/vSZossJw7V
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 27, 2025
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.