After going undrafted last night, Nick Ward has taken the next step to making it to the NBA. The former Michigan State Spartan has reached an agreement with the Atlanta Hawks to play for this in the Summer League.
Ward declared for the draft for the second time following MSU’s Final Four departure. He also declared without an agent following his sophomore season, with the same results. This time around he hired an agent, giving up the ability to return to East Lansing for his senior year.
The 21-year-old Junior averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists this season earning him Third-Team Big 10 honors, despite missing games due to injury.
Ward has stated that his hand feels fine and that he’s recovered 100 percent after suffering a hairline fracture against Ohio State in February.
During his freshman season, it seemed that Ward was primed to become a star at Michigan State. With nearly 14 points per game and 6.5 rebounds, Ward was expected to thrive as time went on, but never seemed to take that “leap” to become a premier player.
His sophomore year was statistically his best season (12.4, 7.1, 0.5), but many were surprised to hear he was leaving for the draft. As a surprise to almost nobody, Ward’s name wasn’t called and he returned for his junior year.
Following the injury, Ward’s role on the team changed. He was now more of a rotational player with Xavier Tillman playing well in his absence. Ward embraced the role, but it definitely hurt him in the long run.
It’s not impossible for Ward to make to the NBA, a good Summer League performance could lead to a camp invite. He’s shown in the past that he’s willing to put in the work and fight through adversity, but his path is going to be tough.