Former Oklahoma forward Jalon Moore sustained a difficult injury with the NBA Draft just around the corner.
Moore tore his Achilles tendon during a recent pre-draft workout with the San Antonio Spurs, according to ESPN's NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony. Moore's agent, Mike Silverman of Equity Sports, said the 6-foot-6 forward underwent successful surgery the following day to repair the torn tendon and is expected to make a full recovery.
"We're truly heartbroken for Jalon," Silverman said in a statement provided to 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."
Moore's injury occurred during his 13th of 16 pre-draft workouts across the country with the 2025 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, according to ESPN. This year's NBA Draft will take place Wednesday and Thursday in Brooklyn, New York, at the Barclays Center. The first round is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT and will air on ABC and ESPN, while the second round will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. and air on ESPN.
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Moore was ranked as the No. 63 overall prospect in ESPN's pre-draft rankings, making him a fringe second-rounder.
The 6-foot-6 Birmingham native flourished in two seasons at Oklahoma after transferring from Georgia Tech. Across those two years with the Sooners, Moore averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range while starting all 65 games in which he played. Prior to that, in two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Moore averaged just 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game across 45 appearances, including 16 starts, while shooting 43.4% from the floor and just 17.5% from beyond the arc.
During his junior season in 2023-24, Moore finished as Oklahoma's third-leading scorer and leading rebounder, averaging 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while helping the Sooners to a 20-win campaign in which they were the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament field.
Moore returned to Oklahoma for his senior season, determined to help the program get over the jump and into the NCAA Tournament. This season, Moore finished as Oklahoma's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, averaging a career-best 15.9 points per game and pulling down 5.8 rebounds per contest while registering the highest usage rate of his career (25.5%). He helped the Sooners to a second consecutive 20-win season and the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2021, as OU earned the No. 9 seed in the West Region but lost to eighth-seeded UConn — the two-time defending national champion — in the first round in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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