Hey Kobe Bryant.  Here is your official, public invitation to come ball at my local Jewish Community Center (JCC).  You know, in case you get tired of the one in Irvine, California.  I am heading to Memphis, Tennessee tonight to host the University of Memphis’ first Agent Day with Jason Belzer tomorrow.  We will also be organizing the school’s first Professional Sports Counseling Panel.  University of Memphis is a client of start-up Collegiate Sports Advisors, which I strongly suggest you pass on to your colleagues at various university athletic departments.  With so much talk about all the things that universities could be doing to better inform and protect their student-athletes, out-of-house Collegiate Sports Advisors is an excellent choice for schools to take a step in the right direction.  Okay, I’m off my soapbox.  Here are some stories I missed from the past week:

College Sports

• About that need for Professional Sports Counseling Panels.. [Time for Transformative Change in Intercollegiate Athletics].
• Class action Complaint alleges that the NCAA has engaged in a long-established pattern of negligence [College Athletes Move Concussions Into the Courtroom].

Baseball

• I provide an in-depth look into how and when MLB players compensate their representatives (unfortunately it is behind a pay wall) [Darren Heitner on MLB Player-Agent Comp].
• The new collective bargaining agreement supposedly reduces the number of rounds in the Rule 4 Draft from 50 to 40 [CBA Links: Michael Weiner, Draft].
• I have a feeling this fight is not yet over [Checking In With Albert Pujols’s Agent, Who Threatened To Sue Us Before He Knew What We Were Going To Write].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (12/2/11) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Brandon Knight surprised a lot of people when he declared that he would keep his name in the 2011 NBA Draft.  Knight is a very smart, talented basketball player, but many believe there is still a lot of room for Knight to develop as a true point guard.  Even with that in mind, Knight is a guaranteed lottery pick and may be selected with one of the top 5 picks of the Draft.

Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group will do his best to convince general managers that Brandon Knight deserves to be the #1 pick overall.  He has experience representing a point guard who was selected #1 overall; Tellem represents Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player.

Tellem does not have a history of representing many former University of Kentucky players, but neither do any other agents.  However, Derrick Rose played under Coach Calipari at Memphis; Coach Cal is now the coach at Kentucky.  Tellem does represent the Big Cat (Jamaal Magloire), who is a former Kentucky Wildcat currently playing with the Miami Heat.

Brandon Knight Chooses Arn Tellem Of Wasserman Media Group from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

An insane amount of people, a hot and muggy day, and a great celebration of a great team that brought the city and their fans on a great ride.  Even though the last couple of weeks has seen the Hawks championship team from last year diminish significantly due to the NHL’s salary cap, there will be no diminishing of Hawks love for the next season . . . just look at the Cubs-Sox Crosstown Classic, in which no one in Chicago cared about what was going on.  All everyone was talking about at the end of May/beginning of June in a baseball-crazed city was where the Hawks were going to be, which player someone saw at a bar, etc.

This is a picture we took in Joe’s Bar on Weed Street after Kane scored the OT goal (when he scored the goal, it seemed like everyone in the bar threw their drinks, notice the shirts in front of us):

And while “The Decision” captured the nation’s attention, Chicago, even without Lebron, D-Wade, or Bosh, has survived.  The Bulls were still able to put together a solid 3 or 4 seed in the East with the additions they have made so far: Carlos Boozer (Gold-Medal-Winning-Olympian cleaning up what Joakim Noah is not picking up on the boards, and putting up 20+ points a game), Kyle Korver (shooting the lights out with Derrick Rose driving and kicking to him), Ronnie Brewer (young swingman who D’s it up and can put up points), C.J. Watson (10 points per game as a back-up last year) and Kurt Thomas (playoff/veteran experience, and he gives that vibe of the vet that knows the ropes and doesn’t care who he is talking to/scolding, just as long as they get on the same page and win).  Talks have also escalated to the point that now the Bulls are closing in on Tracy McGrady, who will be a good back-up/occasional starter for Deng, especially since he has “unfinished business” with the Bulls (i.e. he has the desire to want to be good here); T-Mac can still invoke memories of when he was making All-Star and All-NBA appearances, and for a role player, his occasional scoring outbursts are more than good enough (as long as the price fits).  While it may seem like the Chicago Jazz, new Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau (who will instill that great Celtics “D” from the 2008 championship team), D-Rose (perennial All-Star, and one of the best PG’s in the league already), Noah (heart of the team, and it shows every time he is in the game), and Deng (was All-NBA Rookie First Team, and without his rash of injury problems, still a solid wing) will give the Bulls one of the best teams in the league, and it will be exciting to watch for an aspiring sports advocate/attorney.

The Cubs continue to disappoint, but with Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin now settling in as big-leaguers, Marlon Byrd becoming an All-Star (every game I’ve gone to this season, he has sprinted down the first base line on every ball he has hit in play, which exemplifies the type of player I would love to represent), and Geovany Soto getting closer to his form from his Rookie of the Year rookie season, they have a solid young nucleus that will be exciting to watch in the future.  Hey, us Cubs fans need something to look forward to. . . especially when the Sox are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball and are in the thick of the division title hunt with the Twins and Tigers.  And the Bears training camp begins soon, and that is always an exciting time in Chicago . . . especially when many of the players/coaches are on the hot seat this year.  It will be very interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s offensive schemes improve a young and what-should-be explosive receiving crew.

My second year of law school ended up finishing well and I made the Dean’s List (top 25% of my class) for the second semester in a row.  I also found out I was accepted into the Joint J.D./L.L.M. degree program at The John Marshall Law School.  I will receive my L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, specializing in Copyrights and Trademarks, while also receiving my law degree.  While this adds another semester or two onto my already 4-year J.D. requirement, this will give me a chance to separate myself from the other students graduating law school at the same time as me.  Specializing in copyrights and trademarks can only be a plus for me becoming a sports attorney/advocate, especially because athletes now are multi-talented multi-taskers who want to excel both on and off the field.  I will have a duty to my clients to represent them competently and diligently, and in order for me to accomplish this, I need to be versed in different entertainment/sports related law.  Hopefully, this paragraph has given confidence to future law school students who also will work full-time during law school (as I have/will continue to do throughout school), because it does seem like (and is) a daunting task, but it is clearly doable.  And it is doable while also having fun and experiencing whatever city you are in.

During the summer session I took a class called, “Counseling and Negotiation,” during which we explored not only the techniques to lead client counseling sessions and explore your client’s concerns/problems, but we also explored how best to negotiate with difficult opposing attorneys and to get the price that your client wanted/deserved.  I could not help but think that this class will be helpful with negotiating player contracts or marketing opportunities . . . even though I still realize that the best experience will come when actually negotiating.  Next semester is Evidence, Trademark Law, and Trade Secrets Law . . . my schedule then will be three-nights a week for class, with work everyday and my duties as President of the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Society at John Marshall.

The EMSL Board and I have already set our fall semester schedule.  I have once again teamed up with the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation and our Society will be hosting a School Supply Drive during the first couple of weeks of school.  If anyone is in the Chicago area and would like to donate, just let me know . . . all of the donations go to underprivileged and abused children in the Chicagoland area.  We are also hosting a Bake Sale to try and come up with some money for the organization, and we have other exciting events/discussions planned throughout the semester.

We are always more than willing to help out any sports or entertainment firms or organizations.  One of the other Board members has made a great contact with AMEC (Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel), and our Society now has become THE Chicago volunteer base for helping AMEC organize, promote, and host its events.  They also want to co-host our panel discussions.  For example, this semester we have set up panels consisting of Chicago-area Entertainment attorneys, and next semester, we are doing a panel discussion consisting of three sports attorneys/advocates.  If anyone is interested in coming to talk to our organization, get some free Chicago-style pizza, and meet eager young professionals who are very interested in what you as a sports advocate/attorney do, please let me know.

On a closing note, I think it is pretty cool that “Entourage” is now dipping into the sports world, with Ari potentially being the owner of the “new” football team in L.A.

As always, any comments, questions, or suggestions- just drop a comment.  I have a question for you though . . . ESPN and other sources have stated that Arn Tellem, Tracy McGrady’s advocate, has a strong relationship with Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.  I would like to think that these strong relationships between a player’s representation and a prospective team lead to more reasonable demands in negotiations from both sides, but, to quote Lebron, does it become “just business” when negotiations actually begin?

The Minor Leagues: Summertime Chi from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

There are some phrases an NBA organization never wants to hear, and “It’s time to clean house” is one of the worst. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls are dangerously approaching this breaking point. After an incredible postseason fight in last year’s playoffs against the Boston Celtics, many saw the Bulls as a young group ready to play on the main stage. Many believed they could be a successful team within the Eastern Conference, who, most likely would not win their division (seeing as how they play in the same division as the Cavs), but could compete with any team in the conference – sort of what the Atlanta Hawks are doing now. In reality, the Bulls are doing exactly the opposite. In the first quarter or so of the NBA season, they have fallen to a poor 11-17 record. Granted they have secured wins against some of the elite teams in the NBA, but they have also fallen to the worst of the worst. The team took another step towards the depths of damnation on December 21^st, when they blew a 35-point lead in the 3^rd quarter to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings ended the game on a 58-19 run to win by four. That kind of occurrence is not supposed to happen in the NBA. Teams are supposed to be able to coast on a 35-point lead, but obviously the Bulls are not the team they, the media, and fans thought they were. For that reason, it seems as if it’s time for the Bulls to clean house.

Luckily for the Bulls, they have a few key pieces to the puzzle of success. The most obvious of those pieces: Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose has the skill, the vision, the tenacity to be a superstar in this league, and it’s only a matter of time before he realizes his full potential. He reminds me of a young Dwyane Wade, only he possesses the court vision and passing ability of a Chris Paul type player. For Derrick Rose to truly become the superstar he is capable of being, he must work on his game. First off, he must become more aggressive on the offensive end. Too many times, Rose gets comfortable in his sets, and does not use his incredible explosiveness and quickness to get to the rim. From watching a mere 2 minutes of an NBA game in which Rose plays, it’s easy to see that he can get to the rim at will, but for him to truly be an unstoppable force, he needs to develop a jump shot. Like Dwyane Wade, Rose did not enter the NBA with a pure shot, but with the development of an outside shot, Rose will be virtually unguardable. Rose is obviously a keeper in the rebuilding process of the Chicago Bulls.

At the culmination of the current NBA season, other than Derrick Rose, the Bulls will have six players under guaranteed contracts, one of which is Tyrus Thomas, who is a restricted free agent. Thomas is owed just over $6.2 million next season, and it seems as if he will most likely stay with the Bulls. In addition, John Salmons has a player option for the 2010/2011 season worth $5.8 million. Assuming Salmons and Thomas return to the Bulls, the Bulls will have $43,915,782 of committed contracts. NBA executives project the NBA salary cap to be around $54 million and the luxury tax threshold to be somewhere around $67 million, leaving the Bulls around $20 million or so to play the free agency game, in what looks to be the best free agent class in the history of basketball.

Of the players under contract, the Bulls will be retaining some key players, such as Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich. Joakim Noah is player who can be a key part of the future of the Chicago Bulls. Noah’s relentless attitude on the court combined with his size makes him a hot commodity to any NBA team. He is player who can comfortably play the center position, and do it with relative success. He is a monster rebounder, a decent scorer, and a great defender. Luol Deng is an athletic small forward who is owed over $11 million in the coming season. Deng is playing at a relatively high and efficient level this season, averaging 18 pts and 8 reb per contest. Kirk Hinrich is a different story. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Hinrich fan, but he is not worth the $9.5 million he is being paid this year and the $9 million he is owed next year, especially coming off the bench as he is now. Hinrich is averaging a mere 8 pts and 3 assists this season while shooting an abysmal 36% from the field and 32% from long range. The Bulls are definitely not going to be able to restructure Hinrich’s contract, so their best bet would be to unload his contract to a team in need of a smart point guard who is usually a good shooter and is always a pesky defender. Ideally, they would love to get back an expiring contract, but with so many teams looking to play the free agency game this coming summer, I find it hard to believe they would be able to get something worthwhile.

If the season continues the way it is going now for the Chicago Bulls, it will be a fun time for fans this coming summer. As of now, the Bulls would be fighting for an 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but let’s assume they do not make the playoffs and end up in the NBA lottery. The coming year’s lottery picks feature many NBA ready players that could make an impact sooner rather than later, but where the real fun comes in is the free agent market. As stated earlier, the Bulls are looking to have a significant amount of spending money this summer, and hope to be able to lure a top tier free agent. Sadly, seeing as how I am a die-hard Heat fan, it seems as if the Bulls most likely choice in the free agent market would be Dwyane Wade. To fathom a team of Wade, Rose, Deng, and Noah, with a supporting cast of Hinrich, Thomas, and Salmons is amazing. That team could do great things very quickly, but I do not think it’s going to happen. The Bulls, though, do need to lure in a big name to continue being successful. Ideally, the Bulls would want to pair Rose in the backcourt with an athletic 2-guard that can shoot from the outside; somebody like Joe Johnson or Tracy McGrady or even a Manu Ginobili. This will space out the court, allowing Rose more flexibility to penetrate the lane and kick out to shooters. In addition, the Bulls need to add somebody to fill in the starting role as a power forward. Tyrus Thomas, although an athletic freak, is not fit to start in the NBA. He is a great energy burst off the bench and could best be utilized in that capacity. One option would be to pursue the likes of Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, or Dirk Nowitzki (if Nowitzki decides to use his Early Termination Option). All are big names that will be unrestricted free agents in the coming summer, and as stated before, the Bulls have the money to sign a free agent of that caliber. To fill out the roster, the Bulls should acquire a veteran point guard to teach Derrick Rose the ins and outs of the NBA game, preferably at the veteran’s minimum salary. Some players that fit this description would be Jason Williams, Steve Blake, or even Derek Fisher (if they could ever coax him to leave the Lakers).

Although the Bulls are going through tough times at the moment, they are not far from becoming a successful team. They have some key pieces needed to be successful, and with the addition of just a few more, they could be a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference. The last thing the Bulls would need to do to really get over the hump would be to fire Vinny Del Negro and bring in a coach capable to teaching a young team to play together offensively and, most importantly, defensively, in an attempt towards reaching the ultimate goal. The capability is there; it is simply a question as to whether the organization can make it happen.

Is It Time For The Chicago Bulls To Clean House? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The NCAA’s agenda in certain situations involving schools and athletes is certainly questionable.

Grassroots basketball enthusiast Sonny Vaccaro made some interesting points recently in an interview with Henry Abbot here.

On the topic of Derrick Rose and the wins vacated from Memphis, it is possible the NCAA came down hard on the Tigers because the school is not a traditional powerhouse Bowl Championship Series school. Vaccaro feels that some other schools in the BCS generally are let off easy because of the revenue the schools generate for the giant entertainment conglomerate that has become the NCAA.

The specific case of Reggie Bush is cited, pointing out that while Memphis was quickly penalized, the University of Southern California has yet to be sentenced for the school’s actions from 2006 with Bush, which Vaccaro finds “interesting.”

Vaccaro then goes on to make a huge point against the NBA’s age limit rule. The reason for the supposed beneficial rule is to force talented young athletes to go to college and become more well-rounded individuals. But in many cases, the main justification coaches give to recruits on reasons to come to the school is because the coach can get them to the NBA.

Would Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan, or Jrue Holiday have needed any help getting to the NBA if there was no rule? Doubtful. Brandon Jennings definitely did not and still managed to be a lottery pick.

So why are many coaches using the lure of the NBA to recruit players when the supposed reason for the age rule is the lure of college? It’s probably because college doesn’t seem as sexy when you are earning absolutely nothing. But having these NBA-ready talent forced to go to college makes a lot of money for the NCAA.

Does the NCAA really want these kids to get an education? The association can’t believe that most of these players will be staying for more than one, or even two, years. Free labor, though, for the collegiate entertainment industry is very beneficial for the NCAA.

Rose isn’t the first and won’t be the last player the NCAA has used to dictate how it wants business conducted.

Vaccaro Questions NCAA’s Judgment from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

To me this sounds like an incident where Rose was partying with his friends and was posing for a picture. He was not trying to rep’ any gangs in any way and was only posing for the camera.  Maybe it was an inappropriate pose however, I have seen plenty of photos like this by people on Facebook who think nothing at all by the gestures and actions they are making in them. Hopefully Rose was not thinking anything gang related at the time, as I do not believe he was.

I’m sure his agent, B.J. Armstrong, has some input regarding Rose’s apologetic statements.  Whether the remarks were made by Rose alone or in concert with his agent, the swift decision saved Rose from additional negative publicity before bloggers and others could gossip.  Any way you look at it, Rose taking accountability for his actions is a good sign.  This clearly indicates that the youngster is learning and is a huge positive for Chicago Bulls fans, especially now that his SAT score at Memphis is being investigated.

“Recently, a photo has been circulating on the Internet which appears to depict
me flashing a gang sign,” Rose said in the statement. “This photo of me was
taken at a party I attended in Memphis while I was in school there, and was
meant as a joke … a bad one, I now admit. I want to emphatically
state, now and forever, that Derrick Rose is anti-gang, anti-drug, and
anti-violence. I am not, nor have I ever been, affiliated with any gang and I
can’t speak loudly enough against gang violence, and the things that gangs
represent.”

“In posing for this picture, I am guilty of being young,
naive and of using extremely poor judgment. I sincerely apologize to all my fans
for my mistake. I pride myself on being a good citizen, and role model, that
young people can look up to and I want to urge all my young fans to stay away
from gangs and gang-related activities.”

D-Rose Budding from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

So who is this alleged player?  The letter states that the athlete played for Memphis for the 2007-2008 season and during the 2008 NCAA tournament.  The only player who played just that season is none other than the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year, Derrick Rose.  His name has been the only one floating around as the potential wrong-doer since the story broke last week.  However, Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson has denied any knowledge of the claims against the former Tiger, and said that the school has no reason to believe that a former player enrolled at the university using a fake SAT score.  While Johnson has neither confirmed nor denied that Rose is the player involved, he noted that the athlete is cooperating with the investigation.  A hearing for the case will be held in Indianapolis on June 6.  If the allegations are proven true, the team may have to forfeit its 38-win season and Final Four appearance during the 2007-2008 season.

Former Memphis coach Calipari was not named in the NCAA report, but is being told by the NCAA that he must appear at the upcoming hearing.  The committee on infractions will allow him to participate via phone or video conference.  His current employer, the University of Kentucky, says that Calipari informed them of the ongoing investigation during the interview process.  This is not the first time that the coach has been involved in an NCAA investigation.  After Calipari lead Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996 and then left to coach in the NBA, it was revealed that center Marcus Camby had improper involvement with an agent.  The Final Four appearance was vacated.  Coach Calipari was not named in the report for that violation either, so it seems that twice he has been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Problems in Memphis from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Last week, Jonathan Abrams wrote a piece in the N.Y. Times that highlights the relationship between Derrick and B.J.  They do all the normal things that agents and their clients do, like talk about endorsement deals and other opportunities, but most importantly, B.J. can relate with Rose because they both played ball for the same professional team in different eras.  B.J. can not only prep Rose for his off-the-court matters as any agent would do, but can also lend insight on how to play the actual game.

How valuable is it for a client to not only be able to learn from his agent concerning business and legal issues, but also have his agent be a mentor in fine tuning his trade?  Derrick has both with B.J. Armstrong and WMG in his corner.  Game 5 is tonight.  I wonder if B.J. has any pointers for Rose leading up to tip-off.

Derrick Rose Has An Advantage from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1. Wasserman Media Group (Arn Tellem, BJ Armstrong, Dan Tobin, Greg Lawrence, Thad Foucher, Bob Myers) – The WMG team had an unprecidented draft.  BJ Armstrong stole the show by representing the #1 overall pick, Derrick Rose.  Because BJ was always mentioned with Rose, many looked over the fact that he is also the primary agent for #14 pick, Anthony Randolph.  Quite a first year for the one-time Chicago Bull.  Arn Tellem did not do too poorly himself.  Danillo Gallinari went higher than many had anticipated during the week.  While Tellem may not be “listed” as the primary agent for many of WMG’s 7 first round picks, you have to believe he had a heavy hand in persuading the players to go Wasserman’s way.  Add to the stable Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Maarty Leunen, D.J. Augustin…yeah, this one is easy…Grade = A+
2. Priority Sports (Mark Bartelstein, Aaron Mintz, Brad Ames) – Forget A-Rod vs. Canseco, T.O. vs. the media, and Shawn Chacon vs. the Astros GM.  I want to see Tellem vs. Bartelstein.  If you had to ask me which two names currently dominate the NBPA agent landscape, it would have to be these two fellows.  If your last name starts with a “B”, chances are, Bartelstein represents you.  His company got J.R. Giddons drafted in the first round, way above where I thought he would go.  At the same time, Trent Plaisted slipped a little further than Bartelstein probably hoped he would.  The company definitely jumped for joy when Brandon Rush became a lottery pick.  Overall, Priority had another solid showing.  Grade = A
3. BDA Sports (Billy Duffy, Calvin Andrews, Rade Filipovich) – The biggest news leading up to the NBA Draft had maintained the spotlight for quite some time: O.J. Mayo fired Calvin Andrews and BDA Sports after NCAA violations came to light regarding Mayo’s acceptance of money through a runner for the agency.  In my mind, BDA had to do quite a lot to rebound from that devastating news, which may continue to get worse if further sanctions are placed on the agency.  I do not feel like they ended up very happy.  Besides losing Mayo, James Gist was picked later than expected, but Goran Dragic was taken right about where he was predicted to go.  Overall, 2008 was a disappointing year for a company that used to be right up alongside Priorty.  Grade = C-
4. Excel Sports Management (Jeff Schwartz, Sam Goldfeder) – For a long time, mock drafts had Jerryd Bayless projected as a top-4 pick.  It is not Schwartz’s fault that Bayless slipped as draft day approached; Bayless was probably being hyped a little bit too much beforehand.  Having a lottery pick is always a win for a sports agency, and Excel must be happy that Bayless went in the top 14.  Having two lottery picks is even nicer…Kevin Love is also a client.  The true icing on the cake is that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was taken at the beginning of the second round.  Mbah a Moute was not even a lock to be picked at all.  Grade = A
5. Montgomery Sports Group (Roger Montgomery) – Not a bad draft for a man who only represented four guys going into last Thursday.  Sonny Weems was taken higher than expected and Darrell Jackson went right about where he was predicted to land…and to a team that desperately needs some help.  I have no criticism for Roger, but until he breaks into the first round, I am unable to give him an A.  Grade = B+
6. Creative Artists Agency (Leon Rose, Andre Buck) – It was looking like CAA was going to be left out of the first round shuffle until the aforementioned O.J. Mayo affair went down.  But even more surprising is that CAA ended up with two lottery picks.  The second is Jason Thompson, who has Andre Buck as his primary advisor.  Who could have predicted that the Rider forward would be selected twelfth overall?  The only thing holding me back from giving CAA an A+ is the slipping of CDR (Chris Douglas-Roberts).  Tenth pick in the second round?  Something went wrong there.  Grade = A-
7. ASM Sports (Andy Miller, Justin Zanik) – Serge Ibaka, Sasha Kaun, Omer Asik, J.J. Hickson, Marreese Speights, Deron Washington, and Richard Hendrix all got drafted.  It seems like ASM has not gotten its due praise because WMG has been taking all of the headlines.  Someone hire a PR expert for this company, ASAP!  Between WMG and ASM, how does anyone else compete?  Sure, James Mays and David Padgett were not selected, but I am sure that they will find a team to play for.  Grade = A+

Grading The NBA Draft (By Agencies) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Derrick Rose is going to Chicago.  The city of Chicago is already preparing for tomorow.  No link necessary.
• Darren Rovell thinks that he has influence in the nickname department.  If so, then I think he should tell O.J. Mayo to heavily consider using the name, “The Mayo Clinic” [You Pick The Nickname For O.J. Mayo].  It is so damn goofy, that it may just work.  I am not sure that Nike will approve; however, after the company officially inked the one time Trojan to a 4-year deal.
• Is Joe Alexander more marketable than Mr. Mayo?  He has the advantage of growing up in the Far East and being fluent in Mandarin.  He may be one of the few players in this draft actually hoping to get picked by the Milwaukee Bucks.
• On second thought, maybe Joe is not as marketable in Milwaukee if this trade between the Bucks and Nets is true…
• Check out how Jerryd Bayless prepared for the big day.  He bought a black range rover with black rims and packed a light load for NY.  In the video, he is sporting a nice JB shirt with a Nike swoosh.  Is that a sign that he will be aligning himself with the Nike brand?
• Lots of questions surrounding Trent Plaisted [Plaisted finishes workout routine with Jazz; now awaits Thursday's draft].
• The Pacers now have the 11th and 17th pick in the first round…if the speculation is true [Raptors call O'Neal trade "speculation"].

NBA Draft Links Leading Up To The First Pick from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules