The NBA Draft process is well underway and a few Clemson basketball players are hoping to hear their names called in June.
Ian Schieffelin is off the board now as he's joined Dabo Swinney and the football team but Jaeden Zackery (technically in the portal but going through the draft process), Chase Hunter, and Viktor Lakhin are all hoping to be drafted next month.
One of those guys, however, might have just had his draft hopes crushed this week with the news that he will be missing three months with an injury.
According to Jonathan Givony, Lakhin is going to be sidelined three months weith a torn left tendon in his foot.
NEWS: Clemson's Viktor Lakhin - ESPN's No. 60 prospect - has a torn tendon in his left foot that will sideline him for 3 months, agent Eric Fleisher told ESPN.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 11, 2025
The 6'11 Russian big man had a standout performance at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia last month. pic.twitter.com/eLy9jfXaef
Lakhin was one of the stars of the Portsmouth Invitational back in April and it seemed to have boosted his draft stock as he was just listed as the No. 60 prospect on ESPN's big board for the 2025 NBA Draft, but this injury could ruin his hopes of being drafted in June.
Teams are hesitant to take a chance on guys with injuries, especially if they were already fringe draft picks like Lakhin. He worked his way up the boards to even earn that No. 60 spot which would have made him the last pick in the draft, but not that he's out three months, he'll miss the NBA Summer League and will have to hope a team signs him to a two-way contract and takes a chance.
Lakhin is going to make some team happy because he's a 6-foot-11 versatile big man with plenty of potential and he showed that at Portsmouth.
Let's hope this injury doesn't set him back too far.