NBA Draft prospect Jalon Moore suffered a torn Achilles during a pre-draft workout in San Antonio just four days ahead of this year’s event, his agent Mike Silverman told ESPN. Moore is CBS Sports’ No. 76 prospect, putting him just outside second-round projections. Though Moore is expected to make a full recovery, the injury could not have come at a worse time.
“We’re truly heartbroken for Jalon,” Silverman said via ESPN. “It’s time to revamp the NBA pre-draft process. Flying around the country to perform intense competitive workouts exposes players to risk of major injuries. No other pro sports league puts their draft prospects in this position.”
Givony reports that Moore completed 13 workouts with different teams leading up to the draft and still had another three more scheduled. That’s a significant workload for any player to deal with, especially with the draft right around the corner. Moore certainly isn’t the only player who had that many visits scheduled, but perhaps his injury will give the league a reason to look at the pre-draft process and the toll it takes on prospects.
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It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances for Moore, especially this close to the draft. We’ve seen players get drafted while injured, but that typically is reserved for lottery-bound players. Whether his name is called in the second round or not at all, it will be a while before we see him on a basketball court again as he rehabs from this significant injury.
He averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in his senior season at Oklahoma. Moore spent his first two collegiate years at Georgia Tech, where he averaged 6.2 points and nearly four rebounds before transferring ahead of his junior year. His production took a major leap with Oklahoma as he helped the Sooners to a 20-14 record in his senior season, getting them to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed. He’s a versatile forward who proved to be a consistent 3-point threat with the Sooners.
