Shortly after the final round of NBA Draft ended on June 26, Grant Nelson’s agency announced the former Alabama forward was signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets.

Nelson averaged 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in two seasons as he helped the Crimson Tide reach the Final Four and Elite Eight in consecutive NCAA tournaments, but he had not been chosen in the 2025 NBA Draft.

It wasn’t until Wednesday, though, that the NBA team announced Nelson had signed. That’s only one week before Brooklyn is scheduled to tip off its 2025-26 season.

Nelson told the New York Post “a stress reaction from overworking” had caused the delay in joining the Nets at training camp.

“It was like a small, little minor injury that held me out of training camp,” Nelson said. “And then I feel like I did everything I could. I caught the injury really early, so I wasn’t out long. But it worked out perfect, so now I’m back healthy, feeling 100 percent.”

Nelson was able to play for the Nets’ entry in the NBA 2K26 Summer League in July in Las Vegas. He averaged 6.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in five games.

By the time Nelson got on the court at training camp, Brooklyn had only one preseason game remaining. He did not play in the Nets’ 119-114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, and Brooklyn waived Nelson on Saturday.

Because he signed an Exhibit 10 contract — sometimes called a training-camp contract – Nelson could play for Brooklyn’s NBA Gatorade League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, and receive a bonus of up to $85,300 if he spends 60 days with the team.

Based at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, Long Island opens its season on Nov. 7 against the Capital City Go-Go. Brooklyn starts its season on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets.

Brooklyn also has a two-way contract available that could go to Nelson.

Each NBA team can have three players on two-way contracts. A two-way player does not count on the 15-player standard roster but can play up to 50 games with the NBA team while being shuttled to and from the team’s NBA Gatorade League affiliate without being subjected to waivers.

Nelson was among the six players from Alabama high schools and colleges who were in NBA training camps but have been waived. The others included:

Charles Bediako (Alabama), Detroit PistonsGarrison Brooks (Auburn High School), New Orleans PelicansChaney Johnson (Auburn), Cleveland CavaliersBraxton Key (Alabama), Memphis GrizzliesTrhae Mitchell (South Alabama), New Orleans Pelicans

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