Malachi Richardson's workout schedule targets teams in first round of NBA draft

2016-03-18-sdc-su2hf1677seq.JPG

Syracuse guard Malachi Richardson will have his first pre-draft workout with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

(Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Beginning with his first pre-draft workout for an NBA team in Atlanta, Malachi Richardson is targeting teams with picks from the late lottery into the early 20s of the first round.

Richardson, a 6-foot-7 guard out of Syracuse University, entered the NBA draft after finishing his freshman season on a high note. Richardson stood out on the big stage of the NCAA tournament.

Richardson has been climbing up the charts on many NBA mock drafts and now his workout schedule seems to reflect his rise.

"He's going to work out for teams in the late lottery down to about 20 or so,'' Richardson's agent, Stephen Pina of ASM Sports, said Wednesday.

The first of Richardson's team workouts will take place today in Atlanta. The Hawks have the No. 21 pick in the NBA draft.

Pina said Richardson already has six more workouts scheduled. The Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons have been rumored to have interest in Richardson. The Bulls have the No. 14 pick, the Pistons are at No. 18, Indiana is at No. 20 and the Clippers hold the No. 25 pick.

"Most likely, he'll end up working out for nine to 16 teams,'' Pina said. "It depends on his schedule and the level of interest.''

Pina said he's heard from some teams without a pick in the 14-to-25 range that are interested in Richardson. That means some trades could be brewing.

"If a team is calling, you know they're trying to get to 10 to 20,'' Pina said. "We have a good gauge on which teams might trade into that range.''

For instance, the Boston Celtics have five second-round picks. The Celtics could easily package a couple of those picks to move into position to take Richardson.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.