Who is Grant Nelson and when will he be NBA draft eligible? All you need to know

Grant Nelson is a 6-foot-11 forward who plays for North Dakota State University (NDSU), an NCAA Division I college in the Summit League.

Williamson is a junior and has therefore been eligible for the NBA draft for the past couple of years. However, it isn't clear whether or not he declared for the 2021 and 2022 drafts after his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Some of his highlights have recently taken center stage on social media, with the following mixtape getting close to a quarter of a million views at the time of writing this article.

Despite being a relatively unknown player, Nelson has put up impressive numbers throughout his three seasons in college basketball.

Nelson has increased his points per game average every single season. From 6.3 in his freshman season to 11.6 the following year, Nelson is currently averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

From the video on NBACentral, it appears that Nelson has a well-developed set of skills, with a solid outside shot and is efficient close to the rim. With a good-looking handle and the ability to fake either way to get to the basket, Nelson clearly seems to have guard-like skills at his size.

However, his shooting numbers, especially from 3-point range, are average. He has shot 30.5% in his three seasons at NDSU. In 14 games this year, Grant Nelson has attempted about 3.6 3-point shots per game, shooting 21.4%.

His size could be a key factor should he progress further and declare for future NBA drafts. His three seasons in college basketball do put him at a disadvantage. However, he does seem to have the archetype of big, lengthy wing players that the NBA desires.

"My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA or somewhere else" - Grant Nelson on his future prospects

Grant Nelson of NDSU

In an interview with Bison Illustrated in 2021, Grant Nelson detailed his thoughts on playing with NDSU. When asked about his playing time, Nelson said:

"I did expect to play. I wanted to go to a college where I could play right away. I felt NDSU was a great spot for me where I could contribute right away. It’s also a great school with a great culture.

"I was expecting big of myself and the coaches were as well. So I just did what I could to contribute and it paid off."

Further, when asked about his future, Nelson said:

"I’d like to maybe become a coach or continue playing basketball. My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA or somewhere else." (via) Bison Illustrated