On September 16, 2011, I wrote that Jamal Crawford was on to the next one after he officially terminated Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management as his representative.  Crawford had not given any indication as to who would become his next agent of record.  According to the NY Daily News, Crawford has finally made a decision, opting to sign with Andy Miller of ASM Sports.

Frank Isola of the NY Daily News seemed to somehow think that Crawford’s new relationship with Miller, in particular, may lead him to signing with the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets.  He seems to base that theory on Miller being domiciled in New Jersey, close to both teams.  Yes, that logic sounds silly to me, as well.  However, Miller does have three clients on the Knicks roster.

Jamal Crawford Picks Andy Miller Of ASM Sports For Representation from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Last week, Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, Anthony Tolliver, and Derrick Williams filed a Class Action Complaint against the NBA and its member teams in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.  At roughly the same time, another class of NBA players filed a similar lawsuit in the Northern District of California.  The California lawsuit has since been dismissed without prejudice, and the Complaint filed in Minnesota has been amended to include the Plaintiffs from the California suit.

The following list displays the current class of Plaintiffs in the Minnesota lawsuit along with their respective agents.

• Carmelo Anthony – Leon Rose (CAA)
• Chauncey Billups – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Caron Butler - Raymond Brothers
• Baron Davis – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Kevin Durant – Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Sports Management)
• Ben Gordon - Raymond Brothers
• Kawhi Leonard – Brian Elfus (Impact Sports Management)
• Steve Nash – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Leon Powe – Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Sports Management)
• Anthony Randolph - Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Rajon Rondo - Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Sebastian Telfair - Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Anthony Tolliver - Larry Fox
• Derrick Williams - Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)

With the addition of the new Plaintiffs, there no longer appears to be a claim that all Plaintiffs are somehow tied to the state of Minnesota (other than the fact that they all travel to Minnesota in away games against the Timberwolves).  My friend Marc Edelman, who I consider to be one of the leading experts on Antitrust in Sport, believes that the NBA players smartly dismissed their California Complaint in favor of joining up with the class in Minnesota.  He feels that it will be easier for the class to argue market power in the Minnesota jurisdiction as opposed to the Northern District of California jurisdiction, where precedent may have worked against the players’ arguments.

NBA players will now put up a fight, in unison, in the same court that NFL players were heard within the past year.  The Honorable Patrick J. Schlitz is the judge that has been randomly selected to hear the NBA case.  As Michael McCann has pointed out, Judge Schlitz was a lawyer in the case concerning the Timberwolves’ attempt at relocating to New Orleans and has represented the NFL in several cases.

NBA Amended Complaint in Minnesota

Players Add Plaintiffs, Amend Their Minnesota Complaint v. NBA from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Back in April 2011, HoopsHype reported that Rudy Fernandez sent a termination letter to Andy Miller of ASM Sports and Spanish agency U1st Agency.  At the time, it was only known that Fernandez was signing with Spanish agent David Carro of Hoops Fair Play.  Soon thereafter, Fernandez also signed with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group, which provided him with a strong international agent and a prominent agent within the United States.

Fernandez, a 6’6 shooting guard/small forward, is currently signed to the Dallas Mavericks, but is playing with Real Madrid while the NBA and NBPA try to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.  Raul Barrigon recently got a hold of Fernandez and asked him quite a few questions about his role with Real Madrid and the Mavericks, but the following Q&A caught my attention:

Why did you change agents?

Rudy Fernandez: I was not in contact very often with Andy Miller. My agents in Spain handled my day-to-day stuff. I was very happy with Gerard Darnes, Jordi Vila, Nuria Martinez. They were very important for me during my career. But I felt I needed something else… Then there was the issue with the fines, which I didn’t like… Also some other things happened that I didn’t like. Also in order to change my image I needed this. Now I’m with Arn Tellem, Jose Ortiz and David Carro. Pau [Gasol] and Marc [Gasol] said very good things about Tellem and I’m happy about this change.

Rudy Fernandez Happy About His Change To Arn Tellem from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Yesterday, Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post reported that Kenyon Martin has finally chosen a new agent after parting ways with his former long-time agent Brian Dyke back in August 2011.  Martin had fired Dyke prior to Dyke being able to negotiate a new contract for Martin, which many believe will be the most valuable contract of K-Mart’s career.  K-Mart’s most recent contract was worth $90 million+ over seven years.  Dyke was unable to get Martin an extension that he wanted prior to becoming a free agent.

Andy Miller of ASM Sports is now tasked with the job of negotiating a mega deal for Kenyon Martin.  Miller represents many talented NBA players including Martin’s former Denver Nuggets teammate, Chauncey Billups.  Martin’s former agent, Brian Dyke of Shibumi Sports, represents Darius Morris, Damian Saunders, and Atlanta Hawks superstar Josh Smith.

On To The Next One: Kenyon Martin from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Other than a couple kids from Kentucky (Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins), the following is a comprehensive list of players selected along with their agents of record.  Do not pay too much attention to the teams listed, as a lot will change based on trades.  Based on the information that is listed below, BDA Sports, Octagon, and Creative Artists Agency each had 5 clients selected.  Priority Sports and ASM Sports each had 4 clients selected.  The real winner was Wasserman Media Group, with involvement in the representation of 7 player selected.  30 players were selected from the 6 agencies listed above, accounting for exactly half of the entire draft.

First Round

1. Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Jeff Wechsler (24-7 Sports Management) – This is the first client of Wechsler’s to be drafted #1 overall.  However, Wechsler is no stranger to having 1st round clients.  He represents Larry Hughes, D.J. White, Quentin Richardson, Mike Sweetney, and used to represent Penny Hardaway – all of whom were selected in the 1st round.
2. Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves) – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency) – Pelinka has a lot of talented clients, none larger than Kobe Bryant.  However, he also represents names like Carlos Boozer, Wesley Johnson, James Harden, Derek Fisher, and Andre Iguodala.
3. Enes Kanter (Utah Jazz) – Max Ergul – Not much info on Max Ergul; however, he does represent former Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova.
4. Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Leon Rose (Creative Artist Agency) – Leon Rose and CAA happen to represent another former #4 overall pick named Chris Paul.  The agency also represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade.
5. Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto Raptors) – Sarunas Broga (East Players) w/CAA – All of Broga’s clients listed on his FIBA page were born in Lithuania.
6. Jan Veseley (Washington Wizards) - Aleksandar Raskovic w/Arn Tellem – Raskovic is said to be working with Wasserman Media Group to represent Veseley in negotiations.
7. Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte Bobcats via trade) – Igor Crespo (Xpheres Basketball Management) – 6th international player taken in the 1st 7 picks of the draft.
8. Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons) – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group) – I wonder if Knight will get along with Tracy McGrady, who is also a Tellem client.
9. Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats) – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management) – This is the same company that recently hired Casey Close and is quickly developing a very powerful baseball division.
10. Jimmer Fredette (Sacramento Kings via trade) - Jeff Austin (Octagon) – The crew at Octagon did a tremendous job boosting the marketability of an already marketable Fredette.  Let’s see what they can do with him once he is in the NBA.
11. Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports) – I had heard back in march that Thompson was a priority for BDA Sports.
12. Alec Burks (Utah Jazz) – Andy Miller (ASM Sports) – Along with Andy Miller, Justin Zanik and Andrew Vye represent players at ASM Sports.
13. Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) – Tony Dutt (Rival Sports Group LLC) – I covered the interesting story about Markieff and his brother signing with Dutt and how a man named Jason Martin may have played a big role.
14. Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) - Tony Dutt (Rival Sports Group LLC) – Just read the linked story above.
15. Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs via trade) – Brian Elfus (Impact Sports Management) - Late 2010, Elfus became a part of Impact Sports Management, which has a history of representing a multitude of football players.
16. Nikola Vucevic (Philadelphia 76ers) - Rade Filipovich (BDA Sports)
17. Iman Shumpert (New York Knicks) – Happy Walters (Rogue Sports) – Shumpert joins another Happy Walters client in New York - Amar’e Stoudemire.
    
18. Chris Singleton (Washington Wizards) – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports) – 3 BDA Sports clients taken in the top 18 picks of the draft.
19. Tobias Harris (Milwaukee Bucks via trade) – Henry Thomas (Creative Artists Agency)
20. Donatas Motiejunas (Houston Rockets via trade) – Herb Rudoy (Interperformances) – The agency also represents Manu Ginobili and other foreign born players in the NBA.
21. Nolan Smith (Portland Trailblazers) – Joel Bell (Bell Management International)
22. Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets) - Thad Foucher (Wasserman Media Group)
23. Nikola Mirotic (Chicago Bulls via trade) – Igor Crespo (Xpheres Basketball Management)
24. Reggie Jackson (Oklahoma City Thunder) - Aaron Mintz (Priority Sports)
25. MarShon Brooks (New Jersey Nets via trade) – Seth Cohen (Original Creative Representation)
26. Jordan Hamilton (Portland Trailblazers via trade) - Lee Melchionni (Wasserman Media Group)
27. JaJuan Johnson (Boston Celtics via trade) - Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
28. Norris Cole (Miami Heat via trade) – Joel Bell (Bell Management International)
29. Cory Joseph (San Antonio Spurs) – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
30. Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls) - Happy Walters (Rogue Sports)

Second Round

1. Bojan Bogdanovic (Minnesota Timberwolves via trade) – Marc Cornstein (Pinnacle Management)
2. Justin Harper (Orlando Magic via trade) – Lance Young (Octagon)
3. Kyle Singler (Detroit Pistons) - Greg Lawrence (Wasserman Media Group)
4. Shelvin Mack (Washington Wizards) - Doug Neustadt (The Neustadt Group)
5. Tyler Honeycutt (Sacramento Kings) - Tony Dutt (Rival Sports Group LLC)
6. Jordan Williams (New Jersey Nets) - Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
7. Trey Thompkins (Los Angeles Clippers) - Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
8. Chandler Parsons (Houston Rockets) – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports) – Go Gators!
9. Jeremy Tyler (Charlotte Bobcats) - Makhtar Ndiaye (Wasserman Media Group)
10. Jon Leuer (Milwaukee Bucks) – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
11. Darius Morris (Los Angeles Lakers) – Brian Dyke (Shibumi Sports)
12. Davis Bertans (San Antonio Spurs via trade) - Marc Fleisher (Entersport)
    
13. Malcolm Lee (Chicago Bulls) - Brian Elfus (Impact Sports Management)
14. Charles Jenkins (Golden State Warriors) – Michael Lindeman (Excel Sports Management)
15. Josh Harrellson (New York Knicks via trade) – Unknown
16. Andrew Goudelock (Los Angeles Lakers) – Austin Walton (Walton Sports Management Group)
17. Travis Leslie (Los Angeles Clippers) - Andrew Vye (ASM Sports)
18. Keith Benson (Atlanta Hawks) – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
19. Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
20. Lavoy Allen (Philadelphia 76ers) – Happy Walters (Rogue Sports)
21. Jon Diebler (Portland Trailblazers) –  Lance Young (Octagon)
22. Vernon Macklin (Detroit Piston) – Lance Young (Octagon)
23. DeAndre Liggins (Orlando Magic) - Unknown
24. Milan Macvan (Cleveland Cavaliers) - David Bauman (DB Hoops)
25. E’Twaun Moore (Boston Celtics) – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
26. Chukwudiebere Maduabum (Los Angeles Lakers) - Ugo Udezue (BDA Sports)
27. Tanguy Ngombo (Dallas Mavericks) - Bill McCandless (Court Side)
28. Ater Majok (Los Angeles Lakers) - Michael Lelchitski (SIG Sports)
29. Adam Hanga (San Antonio Spurs) - Alex Saratsis (Octagon)
30. Isaiah Thomas (Sacramento Kings) – Byron Irvin/Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)
    

2011 NBA Draft Listing Of Players Selected And Their Agents from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• JJ Barea – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Rodrigue Beaubois – Bouna Ndiaye (Comsport)
• Corey Brewer – Happy Walters (Rogue Sports)
• Caron Butler – Raymond Brothers
• Brian Cardinal - Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
• Tyson Chandler - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports)
• Brendan Haywood – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Dominique Jones – Mike Hodges
• Jason Kidd - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports)
• Ian Mahinmi - Bouna Ndiaye (Comsport)
• Shawn Marion – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Dirk Nowitzki – NOBODY
• DeShawn Stevenson – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
• Peja Stojakovic – David Bauman (DB Hoops)
• Jason Terry - Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)

What stands out most is that Dirk Nowitzki is not represented by anyone.  Yesterday, Bloomberg Sports released a video explaining Nowitzki’s representation situation (embedded below).  Nowitzki does not have an agent or a business manager, but he does apparently have a friend in Germany who advises him on contracts.

Who Represents The 2010-11 Champion Dallas Mavericks from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

As Pete Thamel of The New York Times reports, UCF was aided by a man named Kenneth Caldwell, who has a criminal record and may be tied to ASM Sports.  Caldwell denies the affiliation to ASM Sports, but had listed ASM Sports as an employer on his LinkedIN page, where it said that he was a recruiter of potential NBA players.  Further, Thamel points out that a former associate of ASM Sports claimed that Caldwell works for the company.

ASM Sports’ client list includes Rudy Fernandez, Daniel Gibson, Serge Ibaka,Chauncey Billups, Marreese Speights, Kevin Garnett, J.J. Hickson, and Andre Miller.  They all are primary clients of founder, Andy Miller.  Along with Miller, Justin Zanik and Andrew Vye hold down the fort at ASM.  Miller has denied any relationship with Caldwell.  Zanik admits to having a relationship with Caldwell, but denied Caldwell being employed by his company.

Who is telling the truth?

This line from Thamel’s piece really sticks out:

[Caldwell] denies being a runner, but said if he were he would be “the best in the country, and you could not stop me.”

Possible Tie Between ASM Sports & Former Convict from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Welcome to the ASM family Joey!!! @joeyyrod12

April 11, 2011 8:40 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@ASM_SPORTS

ASM SPORTS

Joey Rodriguez is a 5’10 guard who actually had his points-per-game decrease in his senior season even though he had marginally more minutes-per-game than in his junior year.  Furthermore, his field goal percentage of 34.4% will have to be improved.  But helping push his team to the Final Four cannot hurt.  Let’s see where Andrew Vye and crew place Rodriguez to play professional ball.

Joey Rodriguez Signs With ASM Sports For Representation from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Larry Sanders – Happy Walters (Rogue Sports)
• Eric Maynor – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)

This year’s crew from the Colonial Athletic Association does not have anyone who just blows you away, but they play excellent team basketball.  One player to keep an eye on is Jamie Skeen, who transfered to VCU from Wake Forest after his sophomore season.  He put up 26 points against the Morris twins of Kansas, and certainly sees his stock rising going into the Final Four match-up against Butler.  I have no guess as to who Skeen may pick as his agent after the Tournament.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Virginia Commonwealth Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• A.J. Abrams – Keith Glass. Signed with Scaligera Basket Verona in Italy.
• LaMarcus Aldridge – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• D.J. Augustin – Thad Foucher (Wasserman Media Group)
• Kevin Durant – Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Sports Management)
• T.J. Ford – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Daniel Gibson – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• P.J. Tucker – Andre Buck (ISM)

Wasserman Media Group certainly sticks out amongst the crowd, and I have heard that Texas star Sophomore Jordan Hamilton is leading in their direction.  He is not the only potential first rounder in the 2011 NBA Draft.  If Freshman Tristan Thompson decides to leave, he could also be a fairly early selection.  Texas is a scary team if both players come back, but it is unlikely that either stick around Austin no matter what is being said at this point in time.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Texas Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules