Former Kansas basketball star Jalen Wilson signs 3-year NBA deal with Brooklyn Nets

Jalen Wilson was selected 51st overall in the NBA Draft last summer but played sparingly through the first three months of the season. However, he has appeared in the past 10 games for the Brooklyn Nets, providing an impressive skill set with his gritty defense and aptness for grabbing rebounds.

During that 10-game span, Wilson is averaging 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 18.9 minutes played. In one contest, he made his first-ever NBA start and made a 39-minute appearance. Now, the franchise is rewarding his strong play with a long-term agreement.

Yesterday, NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news that Brooklyn would convert his two-way contract to sign Wilson to a 3-year deal and give him a permanent spot on the team's 15-man roster. They will use a fraction of their mid-level exception so they can ink him.

The Nets clearly see potential in Wilson, who averaged 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his time in the G League with Brooklyn's affiliate in Long Island. He has become a mainstay in their rotation and is acquiring more playing time now that fellow Kansas basketball alum Jacque Vaughn was fired from the head coaching position.

As for his career with the Kansas basketball program, Wilson won a championship with the Jayhawks in 2022 and took his game to another level as a junior. Last year, he won Big 12 Player of the Year, garnered First-Team Consensus All-American honors, and was a finalist for the Wooden Award under head coach Bill Self.

Wilson is a player beloved among the Jayhawk fanbase for his contributions to a national title-winning roster and the leader he became in his final season in Lawrence. Despite nearly going undrafted, the rookie forward earned himself a life-changing guaranteed contract that could foreshadow the beginning of a long and successful NBA career.