The odds of an undrafted rookie making the final roster of an NBA squad are slim.
That’s what faced Eric Moreland six months ago when his name wasn’t called through all 60 picks of the 2014 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-10 forward from Oregon State didn’t get down on himself though. As Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes, “Moreland hoped to join a list of NBA difference makers who were once on the outside looking in on their draft class.”
“Players such as Ben Wallace, Darrell Armstrong, John Starks, Bruce Bowen, Brad Miller, Raja Bell, Wes Matthews, Udonis Haslem, Chuck Hayes, Jeremy Lin and Reggie Evans among others are proof that going undrafted can be the beginning of one’s NBA journey rather than the disappointing end,” Kennedy wrote in a recent article detailing Moreland’s unprecedented journey to the League.
Although he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last week, Moreland fought through pain and made a name for himself on the Kings Summer League team, ultimately earning a spot on the team’s training camp roster.
No. 25 averaged 8.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks during his six-game stint and helped Sacramento win the Las Vegas Summer League title.
“I love proving people wrong,” Moreland told Basketball Insiders. “I do this for two reasons: I do this for my Mom and I do this to prove people wrong. I never wanted to go the NBA for the money. It was never about that; I just wanted to prove people wrong. Going undrafted was just another obstacle for me. It’s always been like that.”
Through a series of well-documented weeks following the Draft, Moreland worked out for many teams, flew to many cities and embraced the opportunity of what it means to be a professional basketball player.
“One of the first calls that Moreland received was from the Sacramento Kings,” Kennedy writes. “He wasn’t too surprised, since he had a very strong workout for them in early June and believed they needed someone with his skill set."
“Moreland fought through the (shoulder) injury and made the team. He appeared in three games for the Kings and also suited up for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate – the Reno Bighorns – in seven games to further his development. He was thriving in the D-League, averaging 13.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals in 28.7 minutes. He was shooting 59.2 percent from the field, and his best performance was a 14-point, 21-rebound, six-block game in which he was a +29.”
Despite his success thus far, Moreland’s unconventional route to the NBA is just beginning.
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