Calathes worked out in front of a Sacramento Kings executive last weekend and traveled to Dallas for a workout with the Mavericks on Monday. After a workout for the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Calathes is heading to Chicago on Friday for this weekend's NBA pre-draft camp.
Asked if his keeping his name in the draft would require a promise from an organization that he would be taken in the first round, Calathes responded: "No, it will just be a feeling that I have. It will be a feeling if I think that I'll be ready to play."
To prepare for the workouts, Calathes went through the time and expense ($1,580 per week) to train at IMG Sports Academy in Bradenton. Calathes has so far more than held his own against several draft-bound college prospects at IMG's pro development camp, a list that includes UCLA point guard Jrue Holiday, Louisville forward Earl Clark and Pittsburgh center DeJuan Blair.
"He's been one of the best we've had since day one in terms of being in good shape," IMG director of pro development David Thorpe said. "It's very much of a testament to not just him, but what he's doing at Florida because he would probably say that our workouts are very strenuous."
Calathes looks a little lighter than he did at the end of his sophomore season. He says he's been laying off junk food. At 6-foot-5, Calathes has wowed the camp with his natural passing ability.
"He's not just the most amazing passer we've seen on pick and rolls stuff, he's amazing just throwing you a regular chest pass," Thorpe said. "It's the strongest pop you've ever heard. We laugh about it. He threw a baseball pass yesterday to a guy whose ball had gone out of bounds and it was like Nolan Ryan. We could hear it whistle by us. He's just blessed with incredible passing ability."
