5 Upperclass Transfers with Pro Potential: Bigs and Guards Edition
Could any of these five transfers find their way into draft territory -- or even the first round -- by next June's draft?
The 2024 NBA Draft seems to be wide open at the top, but there are plenty of opportunities for players to earn their way into the draft or first-round at the back end. This could easily be a year where we see a bunch of unheralded pre-season prospects zoom their way into the top 40.
Earlier this week, we looked at the wings who might be best-positioned to earn their way onto NBA Draft radars as older transfer players. Today, we look at the other players — the guards and the true big men — who are vying for the same designation.
While the NBA is a little more wing-driven than college hoops (and being a wing gives a player more of a margin of error to stick), these impact upperclassmen have put together impressive games that have enough skill and impact to deserve attention out of the gates from NBA scouts. All five of them will be playing high-major college basketball this season (four of them for the first time), meaning they’ll have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts and land themselves on draft radars in 2024.
Grant Nelson - F, Alabama
At about the middle part of last season, the internet exploded as highlights of Grant Nelson at North Dakota State made the rounds on Twitter and YouTube. He’s the perfect player for a highlight tape: big, bursty with rim-rocking slams, fluid with his handle, appearing to have some feel and craftiness, and enough shooting mixed in to pique interest.
In reality, Nelson was much more flawed on a full re-watch and clearly didn’t look ready to make the jump to the NBA. After testing the waters this Spring, he made the decision to go back to school and is going to see what he can do at the high-major level. Nelson will end up at Alabama, a unique landing spot for him on the offensive end with a creative coach and well-spaced floor that can afford him the time he craves to play that patient style.
At North Dakota State, his teammates gave him a long leash to break off plays, post up or isolate on the left block/ wing, and dominate a possession for long stretches of time. Nelson did fairly well in those situations, constantly getting back to his right hand for tough finishes and opportunities to show off his touch with his righty hook. His footwork is absolutely pristine on the interior.
Yet Nelson is limited as the main creator in an offense without a jump shot, a reliable left hand, and being a methodical driver who needs a lot of time to get to his spots. While the highlight-reel slams are super fun, they are more rare than they are frequent, meaning the substance of his game happens below-the-rim.
The defensive end is where I really have worries about Nelson, and are part of the reason I’m skeptical about his long-term NBA outlook. He’s a classic tweener in the frontcourt: too small/ unimpactful as a rim protector to play the 5, but too slow laterally to survive on the perimeter.
This year at Alabama will be really revealing into his long-term upside. It’s put up or shut up time for Nelson. If Nate Oats can find a spot for him to effectively defend in the SEC, he’ll likely shoot up draft boards with his creative verve on offense. If not, he is in danger of going undrafted. Either way, I think we’ll get answers to the questions we need, and Nelson’s status as an internet favorite will mean lots of eyeballs are on him this coming season.