Why has Smith once again appeared on our radar?  A couple of days ago, the San Antonio Express-News reported that federal authorities are trying to seize California property owned by Smith because there appeared to be marijuana on the property.  Further,

“the federal government contends that Smith sent, or had someone send, numerous money orders, bank and cashier’s checks to buy the five parcels of property, which cost a total of more than $161,000.

The money orders and checks were bought in increments under $10,000, the feds allege, adding that it has the hallmarks of money laundering.”

It gets worse.  The San Antonio Express-News also states that former NBA player Antoine Walker, who has been arrested in the past based on charges related to owing over $800,000 in gambling debts, has informed Internal Revenue Service agents that from 2005-2009, Smith failed to report roughly $600,000 in gambling winnings to the IRS.

It is safe to say that LaPoe Smith has a lot more than the NBA Lockout on his mind.

O.J. Mayo’s Former Agent Owns Some Questionable Property 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

Aldridge expects the start of the 2011/12 NBA season to be stalled until Christmas, which means that almost three full months of regular season games will be missed, along with all preseason games.  His assessment is based on a group of owners he believes are ready to test the strength of the players’ union, along with a union that has been appropriately prepared for a lengthy work stoppage.  I found the following line to be most interesting:

Players are much more unified this time around than in ’99, in no small part because [Billy] Hunter has neutered the influence of powerful player agents like Arn Tellem, Mark Bartlestein and Bill Duffy, with an executive committee comprised mainly of middle-class players like Roger Mason, Jr. and Keyon Dooling.)

Take a look at the National Basketball Players Association Executive Committee.  Of the nine players on the committee, only one (Chris Paul) is earning a salary that is among the top thirty in the NBA.  There is no disputing that the Committee is comprised of what Aldridge refers to as “middle-class players,” but does that really affect the influence of powerful agents like Tellem, Bartelstein, and Duffy?  Take a look at the nine players on the Executive Committee along with their agents of record.

• Derek Fisher – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Keyon Dooling - Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• James Jones – Joel Bell
• Matt Bonner – Kenny Grant (Championship Sports)
• Maurice Evans – Roger Montgomery
• Roger Mason – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports)
• Chris Paul – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Theo Ratliff – Joel Bell
• Etan Thomas – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)

Look whose names show up – the aforementioned Tellem and Bartelstein.  While Bill Duffy’s name is noticeably absent, heavy hitters like Leon Rose of CAA and Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports Agency are present.  Thus, if we are going to base the influence of particular agents on whether they have clients on the Executive Committee, then I do not follow Aldridge’s thinking.  Furthermore, I cannot quite comprehend why Aldridge would think that the makeup of the Executive Committee would somehow affect agents and agencies’ role in negotiations.  The Executive Committee is an influential group, but is certainly not the only voice for the players (especially in a world with Twitter and Facebook).  If Hunter somehow “neutered the influence of powerful player agents” in some other fashion, I am all ears.

I would love for no games to be missed in the 2011/12 NBA season.  More realistic is a hope that the season gets started before January 1, 2012.  But it is naive to think that the “middle-class players” will control negotiations on the players end, especially when a big problem with the current system is the large dollars that mid-level players are receiving.  The heavy hitting agents will be involved, whether or not they represent any players on the Executive Committee.  You’re invited to the party too, Bill Duffy, even if Aldridge has not left a place card at the table for you.

Has Billy Hunter Neutered The Influence Of Powerful Player Agents? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

On May 21, 2011, The Detroit News reported that Rodney Stuckey (shooting guard, Detroit Pistons) signed with Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency (CAA).  Rose became Stuckey’s 5th agent in a span of 4 years.  He started his career represented by Goodwin Sports Management (GSM).  At the time, Steve Banks worked at GSM and became very close to Stuckey.  Banks would eventually branch off from GSM to start Banks Sports Ventures, and signed Stuckey as his one and only NBA client.  With Stuckey’s departure to CAA, Banks Sports Ventures is left without anyone to represent in the NBA.

On February 9, 2010, Banks stated,

“I’m blessed to have a guy like Rodney right now. All you need is one to make it work. It’s like the trickle-down effect and right now there are a few other guys interested.”

Back to Stuckey.  The Pistons extended him a qualifying offer, which means that if he signs a tender with any other team, the Pistons will be able to match the offer and retain Stuckey within a 7-day window.  Rose will be trying to drum up interest for Stuckey in the meantime to drive up the price of his new client.

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

The loss of Williams is a big blow to McLaren, who does not currently represent any other NBA players.  On the other hand, Leon Rose represents the likes of LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.  Williams went from being the big fish in a small pond to just another fish in an already big pond (if he in fact signs with CAA).

Whoever does sign Williams will not be terribly busy talking to teams just yet; Williams cannot opt out of his current deal with the Nets until net year.  However, the Nets will make it a top priority to keep Williams with the club, and will likely start negotiations on a long-term deal much earlier than the Summer of 2012.

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

• Kelenna Azubuike – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Eric Bledsoe – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Keith Bogans – Michael Harrison
• DeMarcus Cousins – John Greig (SportsTalent)
• Chuck Hayes – Calvin Andrews (BDA Sports)
• Jamaal Magloire – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Nazr Mohammed - Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Jodie Meeks – Unrepresented
• Daniel Orton – Ara Vartanian (Vartanian/Simmons Sports Management)
• Patrick Patterson – Odell McCants (Capitol Sports Management)
• Tayshaun Prince – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Rajon Rondo - Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• John Wall – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)

Many people expected John Wall to sign with Leon Rose of CAA last year based on Coach Calipari’s supposed cozy relationship with Rose and his buddy William Wesley (who now has an official position as a Coach Agent with CAA).  However, as noted above, Wall signed with Dan Fegan.  Does that give agents outside of CAA hope to recruit effectively at a school with Coach Cal at the helm?  BDA Sports has a few UK graduates, as does Mike Higgins.  Odell McCants jumped on the scene last year with Patrick Patterson.  Will he be able to leverage that relationship to get more UK blue blood?  Enes Kanter was supposed to play at Kentucky this year, but had to sit out due to an NCAA ruling.  Expect him to be a lottery pick.  Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight may also be lottery picks if either or both decide to leave early.  They are both very talented Freshman that can certainly improve their Draft stocks if they stick around at UK; however, based on their potential, they both will be sure first rounders if they leave early.  My hunch is that at least Knight sticks around at least one more year.

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

Jimmer Fredette is to BYU as Kemba Walker is to the University of Connecticut.  UConn has advanced to the Sweet 16 and fans should be thanking Kemba for the 33 points he contributed to the team in its battle against the University of Cincinnati on Saturday night.  Next up for UConn is San Diego State University, which has a very limited alumni base who have made it in professional basketball.  Here are some of the more recent UConn players who have achieved at the next level, along with their agents of record.

• Jeff Adrien – Aaron Mintz (Priority Sports)
• Ray Allen – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• Hilton Armstrong – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Josh Boone – Robert Fayne
• Caron Butler – Raymond Brothers
• Rudy Gay – Lance Young (Octagon)
• Ben Gordon - Raymond Brothers
• Richard Hamilton – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Donyell Marshall – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Emeka Okafor - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Kevin Ollie – Bill Neff (Saga Sports)
• A.J. Price - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Hasheem Thabeet – Ugo Udezue (BDA Sports)
• Charlie Villanueva - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)

Jeff Schwartz is keyed in at Connecticut.  Other than Schwartz, it looks like Raymond Brothers has some nice pull at UConn.  But if I had to place a bet on which agent Kemba Walker will be picking, I would put my money on Schwartz.  Walker is a guaranteed lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and I cannot see the Junior coming back for his Senior year.  Alex Oriakhi is a talented 6’9 power forward on the current UConn squad, but the Sophomore is still too raw to be drafted.  Look for his stock to rise over the next year or two.

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

• Carmelo Anthony – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Donte Greene – Bill Strickland (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Etan Thomas – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Hakim Warrick – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Jonny Flynn – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Andy Rautins – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Wesley Johnson – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Jason Hart – Bill Neff (Saga Sports)

If you want to go real old school, we can talk about two of my favorite Syracuse Orangemen (that’s what they were called before it became politically incorrect), Rony Seikaly and Danny Schayes (I will also throw current FIU basketball broadcaster Jared Schwartz in the fold).  But let’s stick to the game plan and focus on this year’s Syracuse players who may have a shot at the NBA in 2011.

I was very high on Kris Joseph at the beginning of the season, and still think he has great pro potential, but his draft stock might have gone from sure 1st rounder to middle of the road or high 2nd rounder.  He is only a Junior, so he could opt to come back, which he may end up doing should Syracuse perform poorly in the Tournament.  Rick Jackson does not have that option.  The 6’9 Senior will likely be a mid-to-late 2nd rounder.  Looks like it will likely be a fight between Tellem, Rose, and Duffy.  The three are used to competing with one another.

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

• Ed Davis – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
• Danny Green – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Wayne Ellington – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Ty Lawson – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Tyler Hansbrough – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Reyshawn Terry – Lance Young (Octagon). Currently playing for Brose Baskets of the German League.
• Brandan Wright – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• David Noel – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports). Currently playing for Paris-Levallois Basket in France Pro A.
• Rashad McCants - E. Lindsey Maxwell
• Sean May – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group). Currently playing for Fenerbahçe Ülker in Turkey.
• Raymond Felton – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
• Marvin Williams - James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
• Joseph Forte - John Ebeling (JEMsports)
• Brendan Haywood – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)
• Shammond Williams - Rade Filipovich (BDA Sports)
• Vince Carter - Kurt Schoeppler
• Antawn Jamison - Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Rasheed Wallace – Bill Strickland (Lagardere Unlimited)
• Jerry Stackhouse - Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)

The list could have gone on and on.  Arn Tellem and WMG seem to be just as entrenched at North Carolina as they are at local rival Duke.  However, there is no one agent or agency that dominates this school.  BDA also seems to have had a strong presence over the years.  But look at the first seven players listed, which are the last seven to be drafted out of UNC.  Each one of them has signed with a different agency.  It would be tough to say that Roy Williams promotes any particular agent to his players.

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

Wilson Chandler, the 3rd year New York Knicks forward from DePaul University, has made a switch of representation.  He was formerly represented by Chris Luchey of CGL Sports.  I’m still a big fan of Luchey’s website – at least it is different than the run of the mill sports agency webpage.

Prior to starting up his own firm, Luchey was a Senior Manager of Client Services at Wasserman Media Group, and before that, Director of Player Personnel/Scouting at SFX Sports Group.  The first link on his LinkedIN page is a link to an article about Wilson Chandler’s stock rising.  That needs to be changed, pronto.

As for Chandler, RealGM reports that he is considering Dan Fegan, Arn Tellem, Leon Rose, Andy Miller, and Happy Walters as his new agent.  Tellem would be a stinger, as he is the head honcho at WMG (Luchey’s old firm).  Walters would be an interesting choice – he is the man behind Amar’e Stoudemire.

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