Syracuse freshman, Malachi Richardson, has decided to stay in the NBA Draft and sign an agent after this past weekend’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. He previously had not hired an agent, which kept the door open for a return to Syracuse for his sophomore year.
He signed with Stephen Pina of ASM Sports, which also represents former Syracuse players Rakeem Christmas and Trevor Cooney. Prior to the combine, Richardson was projected to be selected in the second round at 37th overall. With his performance in the combine, his draft stock has been rising with ESPN draft insider Chad Ford projecting him to be selected anywhere from 12th to 20th overall in June’s draft.
Ford said of Richardson, “He’s one of t he few guys in this draft with the size, speed and skills to get his own shot. Not only does he have a quick first step that allows him to blow by defenders, but he’s also got deep range on his jump shot. He only shot 35 percent from 3, but scouts attribute the so-so shooting numbers to shot selection more than shooting form.”
The 6-foot-6 guard interviewed with the maximum number of 13 NBA teams at the combine. Although he did not compete in all of the drills, he posted one of the fastest times in the lane agility drill. In his lone season at Syracuse, Richardson averaged 13.4 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game. He was a key player in the Orange’s Final Four run.