The Indiana Pacers signed Ben Moore of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants to a two-way contract, the third the NBA club used this season.
Opportunity is knocking for Ben Moore. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants forward signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers today according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 6’8 forward out of Southern Methodist University is averaging 10.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Moore spent time with the Pacers in the preseason before being signed by Fort Wayne.
Perhaps Moore’s double-double at the G League Showcase convinced Kevin Pritchard that the rookie was worthy of further consideration.
Moore sounds like a coach’s dream: a high-motor energy guy with a high basketball IQ. His 6’10.5 wingspan allows him to play bigger than he is — think of George Hill or Lance Stephenson — which ends up taking away passing lanes that the opponents think are safe.
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When The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor talked to Moore’s former coach, Larry Brown, he compared him to Derrick McKey die to the mix of size, intelligence, and energy.
"Brost said, even back then, Brown used to compare Ben Moore to Derrick McKey, who played 15 years as a defensive stopper, playing under Brown for portions of his career. “All Derrick McKey cared about was winning, defending, and making people better,” Brown said. “That’s Ben Moore.”"
While he was off the board of most, the Pacers kept an eye on him after he went undrafted. Moore played with the Pacers in the Orlando Summer League before going on to play with Indiana’s G-League team.
The Pacers saw the same thing Brown saw in his former player, and by signing him to a two-way deal, they hope to get even more out of him. Moore is on the edge of breaking through if Indiana is giving him this chance.
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This opportunity comes less than a week after the Pacers waived Damien Wilkins. Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time their fates crossed as both were signed on the same day last summer. While Wilkins was getting what was likely his last run in the NBA, Moore looks to make the most of his first.