2013-04-06-dn-subasket24.JPG
Syracuse's James Southerland has a busy workout schedule for NBA teams.
(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)
Syracuse -- If James Southerland had one of those retro suitcases with the stickers from places he had visited, the travel trunk would be plastered with the logos of nearly half the teams in the NBA.
Southerland, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Syracuse University, has a lengthy travel itinerary jammed with workouts with NBA teams.
Last week, Southerland participated in the NBA's pre-draft combine in Chicago. Then he started off his workout tour with a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this week.
On Thursday, Southerland's agent, Mark Bartelstein of Chicago-based Priority Sports, said Southerland already had eight more visits with NBA teams scheduled.
According to Bartelstein, Southerland will work out for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz over the next few weeks.
"He's visiting a bunch of teams,'' Bartelstein said. "He's going to be very, very busy.''
The number of visits would seem to indicate a high level of interest in Southerland. He is an excellent long-range shooter, who led the Orange with a .398 3-point shooting percentage this past season. Most NBA draft analysts project Southerland as a second-round pick in the NBA draft, which takes place on Thursday, June 27.
Bartelstein said he expected more teams would schedule workouts for Southerland prior to the draft.