Alabama basketball’s loss to UConn in the Final Four might have been forward Grant Nelson’s last game with the Crimson Tide. It depends on a few different factors.
NIL money might be one of them!
Nelson, who transferred south after three years at North Dakota State, alluded to the idea that there will be negotiations involved with his decision on whether to return for a fifth and final year of eligibility. He did not come out and explicitly say those words, but he left a lot of room to read between the lines.
If I do come back to college, I’m hoping it’s Alabama. I’m definitely going to talk to my agent, talk to the coaches, see what’s best for me. Hopefully I can enter the draft process and get drafted this year. But if all else fails, hopefully it’s Alabama coming back.
— Grant Nelson, via Tuscaloosa News
Lane Kiffin looked at Nelson’s comments in a similar manner! The 48-year-old head football coach at Ole Miss responded back to an interpretation of what the Alabama basketball senior had to say.
He has heard his players make indistinguishable remarks. Many of them are now his former players…
It is very clear that Nelson wants to be drafted into the NBA. That is his first choice. However, if the league is not an option, “hopes” he can return to Alabama.
Maybe Nelson is referring to whether head coach Nate Oats will welcome him back. Maybe he is referring to his financial needs and whether they will be met. Perhaps it is a combination of the two.
Grant Nelson’s draft stock has never been higher than it is right after the Final Four loss. He put Donovan Clingan, a projected top-10 (maybe even top-five) pick, on a poster and sent State Farm Stadium into a frenzy.
Should an NBA franchise want to add Grant Nelson to its roster, he is leaving. That is the first path forward.
Should that not be an option, Nelson will gauge his options. A return to Alabama is what he desires, but the door to the transfer portal was left wide open!