Even prior to the official start of the 2010 NBA free agency period, there was a buzz around the New Orleans Hornets’ front office regarding one of their key players.  Star guard and face of the franchise, Chris Paul, stated that he wants out of the Big Easy if the organization isn’t committed to winning.  Though it is hard to believe that the executives of a club worth upwards of a quarter of a billion dollars (Forbes estimated the team to have a net worth of $272 million in 2007) aren’t committed to the success of their entity, the Hornets have still begun to make moves to please Paul.

Co-Owner Gary Chouest has opened negotiations for a transfer of ownership that would involve purchasing George Shinn’s majority share.  The two owners have not yet come to terms on a final deal, but it is assumed that once the transaction is made, Chouest will be investing ample money and resources into the team that would hopefully keep Paul from flying the coup. Note, there is no timetable on the deal, and the two parties are $24 to $30 million apart in negotiations, so this could take some time.

Additionally, New Orleans hired a new General Manager, 40-year old Dell Demps, to replace Jeff Bower, who spent 15 years with the Hornets, the last five as GM.  Though seemingly young, Demps already has 9 years of coaching and managerial experience, first with the NBDL, then the New York Knicks, and finally with the San Antonio Spurs as Director of Pro Personnel.  Furthermore, he already has a solid rapport with head coach Monty Williams as the two were former NBA teammates.  Demps said that he “could tell that something special was building within the organization,” and that “the Hornets are a great organization with a lot of positive pieces.”  Hopefully Paul is on the same page as Demps, or the latter statement could lose some verity.

On July 10, the spectacle that was Carmelo Anthony’s wedding took place in New York City.  Before an all star guest list and media in attendance, Chris Paul took the liberty of making a speech in which he allegedly claimed “We’ll make our own big three,” in reference to Anthony, himself, and Amar’e Stoudemire joining forces, presumably in New York.  If this didn’t alarm the Hornet’s front office, I don’t know what will.

The Hornets push to placate Paul may hit a snag when it comes to their financial situation and the pressure and difficulty of signing another headliner mounts.  Currently, role players such as Peja Stojakovic, Emeka Okafor and James Posey are looking at combined payouts of $33.3 million this upcoming season, and New Orleans has little room under the NBA’s luxury tax threshold.  However, the emergence of rookie guards Darren Collison (76 games, 12.4 PPG, 5.7 APG) and Marcus Thornton (73 games, 14.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG) as well as positive play from Power Forward David West (81 games, 19 PPG, 7.5 RPG), may give Paul confidence that there is an elite team being built around him, and keep him at bay in the Crescent City.

The New Orleans Hornets look like they are setting sail towards future success as one of the top contenders for the championship this season.  The only question is whether or not Chris Paul will captain the voyage, or if he is going to jump ship.

Will Chris Paul Stay As King Bee? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Baseball

• He also built his practice while in law school [Kirschenbaum has right pitch to be successful sports agent].
• The Yankees All-Stars make more than the entire NL starting lineup [And Here Are Your 2010 All Star Game Payrolls].
• A good account from Tom Reich [Agent Recalls Negotiating With "The Boss"].

Football

• A better agent than he was a football player [Former NFL lineman Tom Condon is a Pro Bowl agent].
• The team will become the UFL’s 6th team in 2011 [UFL makes it official in Norfolk].

Basketball

• Involved in a new tech play [Uber-agent David Falk gets into the sports game from a different angle].
• What recourse if Hornets revoked offer before Head accepted? And if accepted, could have been conditioned on passing physical.. [Chicago-based sports agent Mark Bartelstein disagrees with New Orleans Hornets' decision to withdraw contract offer to Luther Head].

Soccer

• The Get Personal section is what athlete marketing agents like to read [Gooooaaaal! Marketing Lessons After The Hype].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (7/16/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

If you have had trouble keeping up with Clay Moser over the years, it is understandable. Twenty plus years of experience in the basketball industry can make for a difficult task. Moser’s wealth of knowledge has led him to his latest stop as head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Developmental League.

Moser’s career began back in 1984 where he was an assistant coach at the junior college level. He was then fortunate enough to have his first NCAA Division 1 coaching experience under the legendary Jim Valvano at NC State.  Since that time, he has been an assistant for two more teams, including the San Antonio Spurs summer league squad in 2005, has been a head coach twice, and served as an advanced scout for the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and most recently, the Orlando Magic. One of Moser’s jobs brought him overseas, where he acted as head coach and team consultant of the Jilin Northeastern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. Moser’s extensive coaching experience positions him incredibly well to be a coach in the NBA.

Aside from a coaching standpoint, Moser has also spent time in the front office. He was the Senior VP & VP of Basketball Operations for the CBA, CEO of the Idaho Stampede, an NBA Consultant, and Vice President of Business Development for the New Orleans Hornets. In his role as an NBA consultant, Moser ran a variety of projects in Basketball Operations, International Business Development and Team Business Operations. Not only is Moser more than qualified to coach a team, he has the credentials of an NBA GM, as well.

There is no doubting how impressive the track record is that Moser has compiled over the years. He has shown a tireless work ethic during his surge through the ranks and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. He is enjoying his current stay as a head coach in the Developmental League and his well-rounded NBA background leave him with no other place to go but up from there. With continued success in its farm system, don’t be surprised to see Moser take his numerous skills to the league as a top assistant or even head coach in the near future.

Experience Paying Dividends: Moser on the Brink of Greatness from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Last year’s NBA Europe Live games drew more than 10.3 million viewers and 75,000 spectators.  This is the third consecutive year that NBA teams are heading overseas to play.  The games originally were a way to expand the influence of the NBA and attract foreign players and viewers.  After the USA played China in their opening round Olympic game, you could see that It certainly did just that in China.  The Chinese love the NBA and its stars, and have made Yao Ming a national hero and spokesman.

The recent splurge of NBA players heading overseas only shows how competitive the NBA is.  Athletes leave the league either for financial reasons or because they can play more and dominate overseas.  They have a completely different role than they did in the NBA.  The NBA is still a great goal for many foreign players and will remain to be the ultimate platform for basketball players worldwide.  Despite the different rules, the level of play is clearly the highest and winning an NBA ring is valued more than even an Olympic medal to some ballers.

NBA Europe Live from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules