One Motive, Many Outcomes: Drew Kelso, Portsmouth, and Positioning in the Modern Draft Space
Jam Hines and Stephen Gillaspie sit down with One Motive Sports founder, Drew Kelso, to examine how he prepares prospects for Portsmouth, the NIL and the transfer portal, and the NBA Draft.
While in Portsmouth for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Jam Hines and Stephen Gillaspie sat down with Drew Kelso, founder of One Motive Sports.
Drew offered a behind-the-scenes look at how prospects prepare for one of the most important evaluation windows of the pre-draft process—along with how agencies help shape those outcomes. From defining roles to navigating opportunity, the conversation pulled back the curtain on what happens after the college season ends and before draft boards begin to take shape.
For a process that is often evaluated strictly through film and data, Drew’s perspective adds another layer—one centered on preparation, positioning, and decision-making.
The Origin
The foundation of One Motive Sports didn’t come from a traditional path into representation. For Drew Kelso, the direction was set early—it just didn’t unfold in a straight line.
“I played in college and graduated in 2011. I actually had dreams of being an agent at the age of 13. I knew I was good enough to get my school paid for, but nothing beyond that. I knew that I wanted to be an agent, but life hit me real quick. I got burned out on basketball when I was 21—my senior year.
I started a retail business in my dorm room when I was 21, and I actually ran that for like eight years.”
That stretch away from the game ended up shaping how Kelso would eventually return to it—without a traditional entry point, and without immediate access to the usual network.
