All three agents found opportunities with NBA teams on the west coast of the United States, but there is no reason to look too much into that.  The three gentlemen also had law degrees, which is rather interesting to note considering that in the 2008-09 NBA season, only one General Manager had a law degree – Donnie Walsh of the New York Knicks.  However, in addition to the hiring of Myers, Babby, and Levien, Rich Cho (General Manager of the Portland Trailblazers) and David Kahn (President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves) have been hired by their respective teams in the past couple of years, and each has a J.D.

Many basketball agents and attorneys would consider the title of NBA General Manager to be a dream job, and it seems to be coming more of a possibility in today’s day and age.  Whether you have such an interest or not, I encourage you to read through a recently published article titled, “National Basketball Association General Managers: An Analysis of the Responsibilities, Qualifications and Characteristics” written by Glenn Wong of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Chris Deubert of Ginsberg & Burgos, PLLC.  It has everything from the demographics and career paths of NBA General Managers to the Duties of an NBA General Manager.

The entire published article is embedded below, but first, here are a few notes I took while reading it:

• In 2008, the average NBA salary was $5.34 million, the highest in pro sports.
• NBA General Managers are generally involved in almost all operations of the team, including finances, marketing, stadium issues, media, public relations, coach selection, scouting, contract negotiations, and player personnel decisions.
• The NBA was the first U.S. pro league to implement a salary cap.  The cap was $3.6 million per team in the 1984-85 season.
• The salary cap in the 2010-11 NBA season was $58.044 million.
• Under the current collective bargaining agreement, which is about to expire, players are guaranteed at least 57% of Basketball Related Income in total salary and benefits.  Teams must spend at least 75% of the cap.
• Salary cap exceptions include the Bi-annual Exception, Mid-Level Salary Exception, Minimum Salary Exception, Traded Player Exception, Veteran Free Agent Exception (aka the Larry Bird Exception) – all discussed at length in the article.
• The average playing career of an NBA GM is more than double the average NBA playing career.
• Only 4 GMs in the 2008-09 NBA season had not played college basketball.
• In the 2008-09 NBA season, 50% of the then GMs had NBA coaching experience.
• Only 4 GMs in the 2008-09 season had advanced degrees.
• The average age of an NBA GM in 2008-09 was 50.1.  Only two GMs were under 40.

Twenty-First Century NBA General Managers from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Darren Heitner: When did you start Walton Sports Management Group (WSMG), and what drove you to create your own company?

Austin Walton: I started Walton Sports in the middle of 2009. I decided to start WSMG at that point because I felt as though I had enough experience, the requisite contacts, and ultimately I wanted to create and run an agency according to my values and core beliefs.

Darren Heitner: How old were you when you started WSMG?  Were there a lot of people who doubted you?  What were common things that people said to you?

Austin Walton: I was 25 when I started Walton Sports, which is extremely young in this business. I have been told that I am the youngest CEO of a basketball agency and with that comes a lot of doubters. Many people thought that I should have continued to gain experience learning from others. Others thought that I would not be able to compete against big agencies for top prospects and they would use my age against me. Last, in this business where being unethical is the norm and having runners recruit for you is commonplace, people thought that it was silly for me to think that I could do this honestly and on my own essentially.

Darren Heitner: Tell us about your educational background, which includes a bachelor’s degree, Masters, and J.D.

Austin Walton: I received my Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Florida. Then, I went on to receive my Master’s in Sports Administration from Valparaiso University before finally getting my law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.

Darren Heitner: Prior to starting up WSMG you interned at Dynasty Athlete Representation and then ran its basketball division.  What would you tell others looking to break into the industry with regards to internships with an agency?

Austin Walton: I think that an internship is the only way that you can break into this business unless you were a former athlete or have countless of connections with athletes. As an intern you truly get to see how an agency is run from the inside. You get to see how hard this business truly is. It is nothing like it is portrayed on television. It is a dog-eat-dog industry and I would venture to say that after many people finish an internship they are turned off by the profession. I will say that it is very tough to break into this business, everyone wants to work in sports. You should start early and work anywhere you can in this industry.

Darren Heitner: You have placed a number of basketball players overseas.  Please describe the process you go through when seeking an opening and then pitching a player to that team.

Austin Walton: Well, I work with numerous of European agents who aide me in helping to place my players overseas. This is the most effective way, because they have formed established relationships in their country and/or region and can communicate much easier than myself with teams for numerous reasons. Now, due to my experience and the amount of players that I have been able to place overseas over the years, I have garnered many relationships with teams as well, so that helps.

Darren Heitner: Many people are reporting that one of your clients has a good chance of being selected in the 2011 NBA Draft.  Tell us a little bit about that man, Andrew Goudelock.

Austin Walton: Plain and simple Andrew Goudelock has a NBA skill. He is the BEST shooter in this year’s draft class. He has unlimited range, a quick release, flawless mechanics, and he shoots a very high percentage given the amount of three’s that he took over the course of his career at the College of Charleston. However, Andrew is not just a one-dimensional player. He has shown time and time again throughout this process that he is a scorer who can fill it up in a multitude of ways, he is one of the best athletes in the draft as evidenced by his NBA combine athletic testing scores, and he is an underrated passer and defender. On June 23rd Andrew should be a late first round pick based on the feedback that I have gotten from NBA teams. That is amazing considering the fact that he was not on a single mock draft; not one when he signed with me nor was he even in the top 100 prospects. Everyone considered him an overseas player, but I knew he was more than that. Then, he was dominant at the Portsmouth Invitational and then the New Jersey mega workout. That translated to an invitation to Chicago which allowed him to perform against the elite prospects and he performed admirably. He tested well and had the best shooting performance there over the likes of Jimmer Fredette and Klay Thompson. We worked really hard and have secured him 17 NBA workouts so that he can be seen by every team from picks 17 through 41 essentially. Now, I am confident that he goes somewhere between 23-38 overall.

Darren Heitner: Take us through the recruitment process leading up to signing Andrew Goudelock.

Austin Walton: It was a similar process to anyone that I recruit, but each client/prospect is unique in different ways. As for Drew, we have a very similar demeanor and approach. We are very confident and do not believe in backing down from a challenge. We wanted to take on the “top” prospects head on every chance that we got. From that a personality standpoint and philosophical standpoint we clicked and due to that he and his family selected me to represent him. Everything else has been history. As for my typical recruiting practices,  I do not recruit a ton of players like all of the big agencies, but the guys that I target are players that I have seen personally a bunch of times and I believe in very much. I start the process early and then show consistency throughout the entire process. I talk to them almost daily to build a relationship and show them that I will be by their side regardless. I go to watch them play a few times and then when the season is over I give them a formal presentation that talks about the agency, our plan for them if they were to sign with Walton Sports, and how we will get them to where they want to be. I am honest and straighy forward. That’s it!

Darren Heitner: How tough is it to recruit against the larger agencies?  What kind of tactics do you employ to separate yourself from the rest of the pack?

Austin Walton: I don’t think that it‘s tough recruiting against larger agencies because I know that I will sign at least 1 NBA player from here on out. I simply sell myself; I don’t have anyone else do it for me. I believe in my abilities and I am confident that I can help every kid that I recruit achieve their maximum potential and get them drafted as high as humanly possible because I know their game, make them a priority which is essential during this process because you only get one chance to make the NBA, and I have the time to dedicate myself to them because I do not represent a ton of guys like these other huge agencies. Last, I believe in them as NBA players which is why I invest in them whereas many other agencies do not push that hard for a guy who is labeled fringe player (Not a top 20-25 player) at the conclusion of his college season to make the NBA because they know how much work is required and the amount of money and time that is required. Look at what has happened with Andrew Goudelock for example, almost every big agency recruited him and they all told him that he was going to ultimately be an overseas player so he signed with me because we (him, his family and I) had a great relationship and I thought he had a legitimate shot of making the NBA and I laid out a plan for him which could make that a reality and it will be in a week. He went from a no name to be mentioned in a lot of publications as a first round pick.

Darren Heitner: Does WSMG represent anybody else who may have a shot of being drafted this year?

Austin Walton: Yes, Randy Culpepper out of UTEP has a legitimate shot of getting drafted this year. He too has had a bunch of workouts and has performed extremely well in all of them. He has gone head-to-head with Jimmer Fredette, Diante Garrett, BenHansborough, Brad Wannamaker, etc. and he was impressive in every single workout thus far. Randy is world-class athlete (43 inch vertical jump), dynamic scorer, good defender and he is an underrated passer and playmaker. At UTEP he played primarily off the ball, but he has shown in workouts that he is a scoring PG who is unguardable in the pick and roll due to his speed and athleticism. He is a very good shooter as well. With the recent success of players like J.J. Barea, Will Bynum and Nate Robinson, the NBA has a place for a diminutive scoring guard like Culpepper. He is one to watch in the last 15 picks.

Darren Heitner: Do you think that there will be a 2011-12 NBA season?  What concessions need to be made by players and owners in order for a new collective bargaining agreement to be signed before the planned start of next season?

Austin Walton: I certainly think that there will be an NBA season in 2011-12. I would expect the lockout to last no longer than the end of December. However, both sides seem to be very far apart at the moment so the next few weeks are very important. There needs to be concessions on both sides for sure. I will not get into what issues need to be dealt with because that is an entire conversation by itself, but there are many issues that need to be hashed out for the NBA to move forward.

Darren Heitner: Last, what should we expect from you and WSMG in the future?

Austin Walton: Expect very big things! Next year is going to be huge for Walton Sports. I fully expect to have a few guys drafted next season and I hope that will be a trend going forward. We only recruit who I consider to be elite athletes and high character individuals because those are the types of player’s that have long NBA careers. Hopefully, in a few years people will consider WSMG as an agency with power yet still be considered a family-based agency.

Interview With The Agent: Austin Walton from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

With the state of the economy today, organizations across the board are forced to come up with innovative promotions and marketing ideas to help generate revenue. The NBA is feeling the downturn like anyone else, and some teams are feeling it more than others. The New Jersey Nets are one team that is actively promoting their season ticket packages through unconventional means. Their two more innovative packages include both offering reversible jerseys with other team’s players opposite their own, and personal player appearances as a part of season ticket packages.

The Nets are embracing the fans who unfortunately may be coming out to see their opponents more so than Nets players with their “Match-Up Plan.”  The “Match-Up Plan” includes tickets to 10 games against popular teams, and more importantly, popular visiting players. Also included in the package is five reversible jerseys with a Nets player on one side and the jersey of LeBron James, Kobe Bryan, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Garnett on the opposite side.

The second interesting season ticket package is certainly geared for the fans with deeper pockets. The Nets will offer a discounted floor seat package for $25,000 that will include four courtside seats for 10 games (at $750 each per ticket it would be $30,000 value). More importantly, this package will offer the fan the opportunity to have a Nets player make a one hour appearance of their choosing. That’s right, Devin Harris at your wedding, child’s birthday party or just over for dinner.

According to Nets Chief Executive Brett Yormark, the players will not be compensated for the appearances. Under the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are required to make seven individual personal appearances, with at least two of those seven in connection with season ticket holder events. Clearly these appearances will be applied to the player’s required promotional appearances as opposed to the traditional meet and greet type of events. As a result, fans will be limited in their player options as we can expect Devin Harris’ obligations to be filled quickly, him being their most popular player.

These promotions are certainly innovative and are excellent examples of recognizing the demographic and using it to your advantage. As Brett Yormark explained, there were a number of courtside seats still available, and he often gets calls from season ticket holders about player appearances. With the allotted player appearances required by the CBA they were able to package them in such a way that will likely enable them to sell more premium priced floor seats. One can only be curious too see what the Nets next big promotion is.

NJ Nets Offering Floor Seats and…Dinner With Devin Harris? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

My reading of Matthew’s piece is at a very apropos time.  I just placed my first basketball client overseas, and earlier today, discussed a possible NCAA rule change that would allow high school graduates to play professionally overseas and retain their student-athlete eligibility.  I believe that the rule change would open the NBA up to even more competition against the international market; athletes will be more comfortable with traveling across the ocean to play in a foreign country if they have previous experience playing there before college.

Matthew’s premise is that basketball competition overseas is now credible, which serves as a big threat to the NBA under its current collective bargaining agreement (CBA).  The The Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB) and its exclusive Euroleague have been able to acquire strong talent from the United States in the past few years.  While the NBA does not allow any athletes under the age of 19 to play its game, FIBA (the entity in charge of creating rules and regulations in Europe), allows 18-year-olds to play in the ULEB.  FIBA does not regulate player contracts or salary caps, but teams may be bound by their country’s or European Union’s labor laws.  No salary cap means that players will be valued properly…remember rumors of Kobe Bryant considering going overseas…purely because the NBA’s salary cap restricts his ceiling.

Other benefits of playing overseas include the creativity that owners are able to use to secure players.  They often offer cars, residences, rent, and flights in their contracts.  Sometimes, players are even given the right to become partial owners of their team and can sell advertising space on their uniforms.  And then compare the Euro to the U.S. Dollar.

Meanwhile, the NBA implements a salary cap, allows owners the possibility to have restricted free agents, and tells 18-year-olds ready to play after high school, that they have to wait a year.

Epps says that a free agent transfer agreement with Euroleague is not plausible.  It would be challenged in U.S. and EU courts.  Instead, Commissioner Stern might want to consider expanding into Europe now, and create a few NBA teams across the Atlantic Ocean to compete in an NBA Europe.  I believe that an NBA Europe is an interesting idea, but it would have to be totally distinct from the NBA in the U.S.  Although there could be a “World Championship” between the winner of the NBA Finals and NBA Europe Finals.  That would make for some good T.V.

Another solution: Get rid of this one-and-done rule!

The NBA Is Losing Its Competitive Edge from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The NBA Draft is this Thursday?  Doesn’t it seem like there has been much less press/hype/coverage leading up to this year’s draft?  There are no LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, or Dwyane Wade caliber players in this year’s draft pool, but there are plenty of guys ready to contribute strong minutes in the NBA.

Even though there are less opportunities for players to showcase their skills in front of NBA teams, it seems like the athletes don’t mind.  In fact, many players are opting out of invitations to work out in front of scouts and GMs.  Some teams have taken a worse media backlash than others.  Chad Ford of ESPN.com thinks that the Memphis Grizzlies, in particular, are struggling with some image problems.  He quotes an unnamed person as saying,

“[The Grizzlies] don’t spend any money anymore. They don’t have a commitment to put a winning team on the floor right now. It’s not where an agent wants to send his star pick.”

Agents do have a lot of sway when it comes to where their superstar clients are picked.  A lot of that decision often revolves around the market of the city that the team plays in, the players already on the team, and the money that teams ordinarily dish out.  For rookies, though, that first contract is pretty much set in stone depending on the slot you get selected.

Memphis isn’t all that bad!  There is good BBQ, and it’s home of the Memphis Redbirds, where Pete Parise is tearing it up.

Grizzlies Taking A Beating Leading Up To The Draft from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Also, Givony reports that this year there will be three major workouts, hosted by 3 NBA teams, with many other teams latching on to scout the highly touted players invited.  Golden State, Minnesota, and New Jersey are hosting, with the largest overall team turnout expected at the New Jersey workout.

Want to know who the players getting workouts have signed to represent them leading up to and following the draft?  Check out our most recent NBA Draft Signing Update.

The NBA Draft Cometh from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Basketball

• Josh Childress answers some questions about playing overseas [Josh Childress: I'll become a better player here in Europe].
• So much for parity [NBA Season--Which Teams Really Have A "Final" Chance?].
• Will he live up to the tremendous hype surrounding him? [Bynum agrees to four-year extension worth $58M]
• Does he need a ring to become a true king? [LeBron James Needs NBA Title To Be Marketing King].
• When will the truth come out?  Are NBA teams profiting or not? [NBA Owners May Let CBA Lapse After 2010-2011 Season].

Football

• This Saturday, take a seat and watch the fastest man in pads tear up the Georgia defense [Fastest Man in Pads May Be Florida’s Tailback].

Baseball

• An example of a large investment with little return [Adam Loewen takes the money and runs].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Ehadadi’s NBA dreams have now come true. The Memphis Grizzlies website reports that they have officially worked out an undisclosed deal with Hamed. The 23 year old is now the tallest player in Memphis franchise history and will be the first Iranian ever to play in the NBA.

The unpolished Ehadadi (also spelled Haddadi), is a 7’2, 254 pound center who will need to gain some weight and get tougher if he wants to keep up with other centers in the NBA. Although Ehadadi led all Olympians in average rebounds and blocks per game, he still has a lot of learning to do. It took Yao Ming several seasons to get accustomed with the NBA’s physical style of play down low. I believe it will take Hamed the same amount of time before he is seen as a force in the paint. The Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol to L.A. last season and are hoping Ehadadi can fill his shoes. The Grizzlies will also feature Pau’s brother Marc Gasol in their lineup this season.

With so many great players leaving the NBA and heading overseas this off-season, it is great to see a talented player like Ehadadi doing the opposite and coming to North America. The Olympics this summer showed us that although the USA still has dominant athletes, other great players and teams do exist out there. The Ehadadi story along with the passion of the Chinese fans toward our NBA athletes prove that the NBA dream still exists for many athletes and others.

Ehadadi Gettin’ Grizzly from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

After many scouts saw Ehadadi play in Beijing last week, NBA General Managers became interested in the big Iranian center. The NBA then disallowed all communication between teams and Ehadadi, claiming that the league needed a license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control before teams could negotiate with the Iranian. Today, that license was granted.

The 7-foot-two Ehadadi averaged 16.6 points in five overall matches, good for eighth overall, and was the only non-NBA player in the top-ten in rebounds grabbing 11.2. In fact, the Iranian center led all players in rebounds through the first five games. Ehadadi also led the field in blocks (2.6) and tied Yao Ming with the most double-doubles of the tournament thus far, earning two.

Besides Ehadadi, NBA teams will also attempt to talk Iran’s Mohammadsamad NikKhah Bahrami, the shooting guard that led Iran in scoring with 17.2 ppg, while shooting 50% from the floor.

Hamed Ehadadi NBA Update from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Well, that comment and his notable skills during only four games in group play caused NBA commissioner David Stern and the NBA legal counsel to advise NBA teams of their rights when dealing with Iranian players.

In the letter, which was sent to all NBA teams Friday, the NBA legal counsel wrote: “It has come to our attention that representatives of Hamed Ehadadi, an Iranian basketball player, may be contacting NBA teams to discuss the possibility of signing Mr. Ehadadi to an NBA player contract. We have been advised that a federal statue prohibits a person or organization in the United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals.”

Ehadadi was asked in a press conference if any NBA teams had contacted him so far. He replied by stating that two or three NBA teams had already contacted him, including the Memphis Grizzlies.

In Iran’s four losses in Pool B of the Olympics, Ehadadi averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. He is considered a project by many NBA teams, but recently has shown improvement with his inside game, showing more strength than in previous settings. Ehadadi also has shown that he can block shots. His most impressive attribute however, remains his height. At seven-foot-two, the young 23 year old is a project that many NBA teams would like to start working on right now.

Currently, the NBA is applying to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control to get a license that would allow any NBA team to negotiate with Ehadadi. Until the NBA gets permission, no franchise is allowed to discuss anything with the HUGE Iranian.

I wonder if the NBA will investigate any of the three teams that have contacted Ehadadi already. If Major League Baseball investigated Manny’s situation after he was traded to L.A. then David Stern will certainly be looking more into this situation and the NBA teams involved. I do not believe it will result in anything substantial, but contacting an athlete who cannot be legally contacted is a violation of NBA rules.

No Iranians Allowed In The NBA from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules