OU Basketball: Oklahoma Forward Jalon Moore Declares for NBA Draft
On Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma forward Jalon Moore announced that he will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Moore spent the first two years of his career at Georgia Tech before heading to OU in the summer of 2023. In his lone season with the Sooners, the athletic forward averaged 11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and one block per game while shooting 51.7% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc.
Originally from Birmingham, AL, the 6-foot-7 junior offers a solid mix of size, athleticism and perimeter shooting. Moore started 31 games for Porter Moser's squad this season and will be a big loss if he does end up leaving for the NBA.
The former Yellow Jacket will maintain his college eligibility, giving Moore until May 29th to decide whether he will go through the draft process or stay in college for another year. This allows Moore the opportunity to hear feedback on his status from NBA teams to determine if he has a chance to be selected in the draft this summer.
Many scouts and executives have claimed that the 2024 NBA Draft class is one of the weaker groups in recent memory, which may increase Moore's value in the process.
If Moore does end up leaving OU, he would be the fourth starter from Moser's 2023-24 squad to make a departure from Norman, with Javian McCollum, Milos Uzan and Otega Oweh all entering the transfer portal.
Backup big man John Hugley IV also announced that he is transferring, meaning Moser will be looking to fill multiple spots over the offseason.