Golden State Warriors: 15 forgotten players in franchise history

12. DeMarcus Nelson

This will not be a place where the lack of success by Duke players in the pros will be brought up. Instead, it’s the story of just how difficult it really is to break into the league and how quickly it can come to an end.

After four seasons at Duke, Nelson would not be drafted but still managed to get signed by Golden State. That’s a lot more than most undrafted players get so he was given his opportunity to show what he could do.

However, once 10-day contract season kicked in, he was sent on his way. They then tried out Jermareo Davidson, who would be signed for the rest of the season. So essentially, the Warriors spent a year looking at both Nelson and Davidson.

Neither would ever end up having an impact on Golden State. Not to fear though, Nelson is still playing basketball internationally and has gotten plenty of experience all over the world. To make it to Duke is a special thing and he certainly had to learn plenty of lessons that have helped keep him playing today.