Sources: Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones underwent surgery for pectoral injury
Center Damian Jones from Vanderbilt underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle, his agent, Austin Brown of CAA, told The Vertical.
Jones, projected to be the 29th selection in The Vertical’s latest mock draft, suffered the chest injury June 11 while bench-pressing 185 pounds during a workout with the Orlando Magic, league sources said. He is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the NBA season.
Jones is home recovering in Baton Rouge, La. He will not compete in the NBA Summer League, but could be ready to return late in training camp.
Dr. Benjamin Domb, who performed the procedure in Chicago, said the “surgery was a success."
"We were able to repair the torn pec with no difficulty," Domb said. "We have seen excellent outcomes after repairs of the pectoralis major in our professional athletes, with full return to sports.”
Jones, an engineering major, attracted the attention of NBA teams during the predraft process with his combination of raw physical tools, intelligence and potential. Jones, 20, measured just under 7 feet in shoes with a 7-4 wingspan at the NBA combine in Chicago. He is also considered one of the most athletic big men in the draft, posting a 36-inch, no-step vertical leap that was the third-highest mark at the combine.
Jones was always considered a long-term project, so the injury isn’t expected to damage his draft stock. He will continue to visit teams that pick in the mid-first round leading up to Thursday’s NBA draft.
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