Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson has been somewhat of a steal for the Nets since coming into the league as the 51st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Kansas. Wilson has not only managed to stay on Brooklyn’s roster as he heads into his third season, but he has had some bright moments along the way that gives him the confidence to keep his spot.
“I’m always confident. And I know that I’m always prepared. [I[ had some good games in preseason, we went out and won a game in China, so I’m always confident in myself and what I’m able to do,” Wilson said during an appearance at PS 335, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. Wilson surprised students at P.S. 335 Granville T. Woods on Tuesday with donations of classroom essentials, showing his commitment to the Brooklyn community.
“I think availability is very big in the NBA, being healthy and taking care of your body,” Wilson said of what he has going for him as he competes for the 15th and final standard roster spot on the Nets during the preseason. “Shoutout to our [performance] team, they get us right with treatment every single day, preparing us to be able to play … and I was very fortunate to be available and able to play.”
Wilson, 24, is likely competing for a chance to remain on Brooklyn’s roster given that the team added five first-round picks from the 2025 NBA Draft that figure to get some playing time along the way. The Nets have already made some tough decisions by cutting forward Drew Timme, guard Dariq Whitehead, and forward Fanbo Zeng and Wilson could be next in the unfortunate numbers game that teams have to play this time of the season.
As of this writing, Wilson will essentially be competing with Tyrese Martin, Malachi Smith, and Grant Nelson for the last roster spot, even though most of the aforementioned players could qualify for the last Two-Way spot on the team. Either way, Wilson will have to trust himself and his game and hope that head coach Jordi Fernandez sees his value enough to keep him on the roster for the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Jalen Wilson confident in his ability to earn last roster spot