Grant Nelson’s brief audition with the Nets is over, at least for now.
The undrafted rookie forward’s 10-day contract expired Monday, and Brooklyn is not expected to sign him to a second 10-day deal, according to reports. Nelson’s stint was short and uneven in terms of opportunity, but it still offered a look at why the Nets took the flier in the first place: size, activity and the ability to affect a game without needing the ball in his hands.
Nelson, 23, appeared in four games with Brooklyn and averaged 4.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 55.6% from the field. He also hit 70.0% of his free throws. The numbers were modest, but they were tied directly to a role that shifted night to night as the Nets continued to shuffle through lineups during a youth-heavy stretch of the season.
His first taste came Feb. 27 against the Boston Celtics, when he played just under 10 minutes and finished with three points, two rebounds and four assists. It was a quiet debut statistically, but the four assists stood out for a 6-foot-11, 230-pound forward still learning the speed of NBA reads and spacing.
In his home debut March 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nelson scored 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting and helped flip the game with his defensive effort in 20 minutes off the bench. That night looked like the ideal version of what Brooklyn was hoping to find. Nelson made his presence even though he wasn’t heavily featured, but the minutes were never consistent. He played under three minutes in each of his next two appearances, then didn’t play at all in Saturday’s road loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Brooklyn signed Nelson to the deal after he spent time with the organization at multiple points. He was with the Nets in the preseason after signing Oct. 15, 2025, before being waived three days later. He also played for Brooklyn in Summer League, averaging 4.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17.9 minutes over four games.
Most of his steady work came with Long Island. In 23 Tip-Off Tournament and regular-season games for the Long Island Nets, including 17 starts, Nelson averaged 11.1 points on 54.9% shooting and 80.9% from the line, along with 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 of them offensive, and 1.2 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.
Nelson entered the league with a college résumé built on motor and versatility. He played two seasons at Alabama from 2023-25, helping the Crimson Tide reach the Elite Eight last season as a graduate student. The year before, he earned a spot on the 2024 NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team during Alabama’s first-ever trip to the Final Four. Before Alabama, he spent three seasons at North Dakota State and was named First Team All-Summit League as a junior.
Elsewhere on the roster, rookie Drake Powell was recalled from the G League on Sunday.