The Nets now have six rookies to worry about developing, at least for the next 10 days.
Brooklyn signed former Alabama forward Grant Nelson to a 10-day contract Friday, taking a flyer on an undrafted prospect with size, a modern skill set and enough versatility to intrigue a team that’s leaned hard into youth.
Nelson, a 6-11, 230-pound forward, joins the Nets from their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. In 23 Tip-Off Tournament and regular-season games for Long Island, including 17 starts, Nelson averaged 11.1 points on 54.9% shooting and 80.9% from the free-throw line, along with 6.0 rebounds (2.6 offensive) and 1.2 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. He joins Noah Clowney, another Alabama big on the Nets’ roster.
Brooklyn’s been familiar with him for months. Nelson spent part of the preseason with the Nets after signing Oct. 15, 2025, before being waived three days later. He also played for Brooklyn during Summer League, averaging 4.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 17.9 minutes over four games.
In college, Nelson built a reputation as a high-motor forward who can impact the game in multiple ways. The 23-year-old played two seasons at Alabama from 2023-25 and helped the Crimson Tide reach the Elite Eight last season as a graduate student. He earned a spot on the 2024 NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team the previous season during Alabama’s first-ever trip to the Final Four. Before Alabama, the Devils Lake, N.D., native spent three seasons at North Dakota State and was named First Team All-Summit League as a junior.
The Nets are betting that his energy and offensive versatility can translate. His 3-point shooting has been inconsistent, and his perimeter defense remains a developmental area, but his ability to affect games without needing plays called for him gives him a potential pathway to a niche role.
Friday’s move came with another roster shuffle. The Nets recalled rookie Ben Saraf from Long Island while assigning fellow first-round pick Drake Powell to the G League. Powell has averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 steals over his last 10 games while shooting 35.4% from the field and 19.2% from deep.
Saraf, meanwhile, erupted for 32 points in Long Island’s win over the Maine Celtics on Wednesday.
Josh Minott, acquired at the trade deadline from Boston, was recalled from Long Island on Thursday and made his Nets debut in the team’s 126-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Nets, who dropped their sixth straight Thursday to fall to 15-43, are searching for answers as the season winds down. Nelson now has 10 days to show he can be one of them.
