The transfer portal got a surprising entry this week in North Dakota State forward Grant Nelson.
Per a report from The Forum (Fargo, N.D.), the move is most likely Nelson and his agent doing their due diligence while he mulls his basketball future; he had until May 11 to enter his name into the transfer portal. Before he decides whether — or where — to transfer, he must first determine if he will withdraw his name from NBA Draft consideration.
Nelson, listed as 6-11, 235 pounds per his school bio, declared for the draft on March 8 following a breakout season for the Bison. He has until Monday, June 12 to withdraw his name from early entry into the draft, in which case he would have two seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining.
If Nelson returns for at least one more college basketball season, he must decide whether to continue playing for North Dakota State or choose a new transfer destination. With that, The Sporting News breaks down Nelson's options moving forward — from remaining in the 2023 draft to returning to college — as well as breaking down his college stats and NBA Draft scouting report:
MORE: How March Madness impacted TSN's NBA Mock Draft 2023
What's next for Grant Nelson?
Enter 2023 NBA Draft
Depending on what sort of advice and NBA Draft feedback Nelson receives, he could opt to keep his name in the draft. Even if he isn't taken with any of the 60 picks of the draft, he could still earn a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent, or otherwise sign to play in an overseas league.
Return to North Dakota State
Should Nelson remove his name from the NBA Draft prior to the June 12 deadline, he has one of two options available: return to play for North Dakota State or transfer to a new school. If he were to choose the former option, he would return to a team under David Richman in which he is guaranteed to be the focal point of the offense.
That said, Richman — who has a 170-114 record at NDSU since taking over in 2014-15 — has not led the Bison to an NCAA Tournament berth since the 2019-20 season, and March Madness was canceled that year at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. A return to Fargo, N.D., might limit how much exposure Nelson gets.
Transfer to new school
The third option for Nelson is to transfer to another school where he can compete against a higher level of competition and a higher degree of exposure, perhaps at the cost of being a focus of the offense. Several players used the transfer portal to their advantage in 2022-23, with such stars as Sir'Jabari Rice and a multitude of Miami players standing out in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Initial speculation indicated Arkansas, Kentucky and Michigan State could be potential destinations for Nelson, but it's early in the process.
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Grant Nelson stats
Nelson has played 86 career games for NDSU, starting 56. For his career, he has averaged 12.1 points per game on 50.8 field goal percentage. That includes a 30.7 3-point shooting percentage.
Nelson enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022-23, nearly averaging a double-double at 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He also shot 52.1 percent from the field and had a career-high 50 blocks. Below are his season-by-season stats in Fargo:
| Year | PPG | FG% | 3P% | RPG | APG | BLKs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 6.3 | .471 | .356 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 25 |
| 2021-22 | 11.6 | .508 | .322 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 38 |
| 2022-23 | 17.9 | .521 | .269 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 50 |
Grant Nelson 247 recruiting rankings
Nelson not only didn't have a star rating out of the 2020 recruiting class, but also was not ranked at all by 247Sports. That said, he has been deemed a four-star player in the transfer portal as of his entry on Tuesday.
Grant Nelson highlights
Grant Nelson NBA Draft scouting report
Nelson hasn't made considerable waves as a potential prospect ahead of June's NBA Draft, and is not among the names listed in TSN's NBA mock draft. That said, The Forum reports he has received "feedback from NBA executives that tabbed Nelson as a potential second-round pick."
Nelson has also been issued an invitation to the 2023 NBA Combine from May 16 through 18, which suggests he has the potential to be one of the selections of this year's draft. As of Tuesday, Nelson appears in only one mock draft: Sam Vecenie's at The Athletic. Nelson ranks 75th on his top-100 list.
If his stock keeps rising, however, it's possible Nelson takes a chance on taking the next stage of his playing career.
