The Spurs hit the wall recently by losing six straight games. In that span, the Los Angeles Lakers stayed hot and closed to within two games of the Western Conference lead. But the Spurs key players recovered from their injuries, got back in the lineup and the Spurs have now won three straight.

Even so, not many people believe the Spurs can win an NBA Championship this year. It’s not that they aren’t good enough to beat some of the weaker teams they’ll face in the first or second round of the Western Conference playoffs, it’s just that most people have little faith that they can beat the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series.

The Spurs are an elderly team, and as the season has worn on, their players have started to play their age a little bit – players such as Tim Duncan. The fact of the matter is that unless he is elite, the Spurs won’t win as a team. And while he’s been good, he hasn’t been dominant.

Coach Gregg Popovich is really monitoring Duncan’s minutes and trying to keep them to a minimum to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Duncan has averaged 28.4 minutes per game this season, which is the lowest of his career.

The Lakers are younger virtually across the board, and the tandem of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are still in their prime. Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all past it.

The Spurs have a shot, but not many people believe they will actually be crowned champions for the 2010-11 season.

Spurs Right The Ship…But For How Long? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Cole Aldrich – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Darrell Arthur – Jerry Hicks
• Mario Chalmers – Sam Goldfeder (Excel Sports Management)
• Nick Collison – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Drew Gooden – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited). Formerly with Calvin Andrews (BDA Sports)
• Xavier Henry - Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Kirk Hinrich – Jeff Austin (Octagon)
• Darnell Jackson – Roger Montgomery (Montgomery Sports Group)
• Sasha Kaun – Justin Zanik (ASM Sports). Currently playing for powerhouse, CSKA Moscow.
• Raef LaFrentz – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group). Retired.
• Paul Pierce – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Scot Pollard – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports & Entertainment). Retired.
• Russell Robinson – Bob McClaren (McClaren Sports). Playing for DKV Joventut in Spain’s Liga ACB.
• Brandon Rush – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports and Entertainment)
• Wayne Simien – Leigh Steinberg. Retired.
• Jacque Vaughn – Jeff Austin (Octagon). Assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Julian Wright – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)

Kansas produces professional basketball players.  This is only a partial listing of the many high quality basketball players to come out of the Jayhawks program in the past couple of decades.  No one agency dominates the school, and there is quite a wide spread of agents who have been able to effectively pitch their services to Kansas players.  Excel Sports seems to have a nice mix with two younger players in Mario Chalmers and Cole Aldrich, along with the best in the group, Paul Pierce.

Power forward Markieff Morris should be drafted in 2011.  The senior is 6’10, 235lbs, and puts up over 13 points per game.  Marcus Morris will not definitely leave, but if he does, he is likely to be selected above Markieff.  Josh Selby is a very talented young shooting guard, but the Freshman will likely stick around for at least one more year.  If not, he could be taken in the first round.  Thomas Robinson has a lot of potential and will be returning to Kansas next year as well.  If Tyshawn Taylor leaves, he could be a 2nd round pick, but he also has one year left if he chooses to play it out at Kansas.

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

When I originally wrote about the Grizzlies caving into pressure, I mentioned that the San Antonio Spurs might suffer the most based on the Grizzlies folding its hand.  The Spurs are known to make its players perform on their rookie contracts if they want to earn the max on their contracts.  And they have had quite a bit of success under that model.

This year, James Anderson was selected by the Spurs at #20 overall.  He also accepted a rookie deal that includes performance bonuses.  The thing that may end up saving the Spurs is that Anderson will likely meet the performance goals that were set.  As long as the Spurs did not and continue to not set those goals at a level that is unconscionable, and their rookies have a track record of meeting the goals, I do not see why the Spurs will be held back from continuing the practice of making their rookies earn top dollars.

Will any teams attempt what the Grizzlies aimed to do this past offseason and demand that their first-round selection(s) sign a rookie contract that includes performance bonuses for the extra 20% over slot?  If so, I have to imagine they will use the Spurs as Exhibit A.

Rookies “Earning” The Extra 20% Over Slot from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Here are the final NBA previews.  I am very excited for the season to begin, and especially interested in seeing how my Miami Heat fare this year.  But let’s talk Northwest Division for a minute.  It seems like every year the San Antonio Spurs are in contention.  I don’t think this year will be any different.  All the main pieces are back, but I am focused on how Tiago Splitter adds to the team.  I have been following him for a while; I think he has big upside.

Grizzlies:  Straight Outta Vancouver | 3 Shades of Blue | SBN Recap

Hornets: At the Hive | Hornets247 | SBN Recap

Mavericks: MavsMoneyball | The Two Man Game

Rockets: The Dream Shake | SBN Recap

Spurs: Pounding the Rock | Project Spurs | SBN Recap

NBA Blog Previews: Southwest Division Recap from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1. There are more options for placement of their clients at a professional level.
2. There is new leverage that agents can use when negotiating contracts for their clients, driving up their prices.

But if you talk to basketball agents this year, many will tell you that there seems to be less openings and less money granted to players.  A lot of teams are looking to save money by signing talented domestic players.  Players born overseas are getting better by the year, as foreign countries pay more attention to the athletic development of their youth.  Additionally, there are more U.S. born players looking to play overseas.  With an increase in supply and no clear sign of an increase in demand for U.S. players (due to high price tags), it is not unfathomable to think that it is getting more difficult to place talented players overseas for big money contracts.  There are notable exceptions, but that is exactly what they are…exceptions.  And we read about the exceptions, because they are more newsworthy.

While some teams adhere to a strict budget and will do whatever it takes to keep costs down (including sometimes ignoring paying agent fees or even declining to pay the player the money he deserves based on his contract), others wish that they could spend even more money on talented Americans.  The problem that they have is that there might be a restriction on the number of imports.

Ron Artest recently spoke out about this particular issue.

“They need to let more Americans play in the European leagues. There are only like two [Americans] to a team while Europeans can come to America [and play in the NBA] like the whole San Antonio Spurs team — a whole American team can be full of Europeans. Europe has to be a little more fair to the American players.

You see a lot of foreign players come over to America to play in the NBA. It’s not fair that a lot of American players can’t come to China or can’t come to Europe to play with as many players as they want, so there’s no balance … They should just make it more even.”

The State Of Overseas Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

No more ragging on the Memphis Grizzlies…for now.  Last week the Grizz finally came to terms with first-round selections Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez.  No training camp missed.  No harm, no foul, right?  That’s true to an extent.  The players shouldn’t suffer.  They ended up with the historically agreed upon rookie contract of 120% of the league’s rookie salary scale, after the Grizz did not want to give up more than 100% of the rookie salary scale and make the rookies “earn” the additional 20% through performance bonuses.  Their agents won’t suffer either.  Henry’s agent, Arn Tellem, said the following:

“I assured the Grizzlies that I wouldn’t yield to pressure. I also informed them that to take any pressure off Xavier, I would pay his salary myself if a deal couldn’t be reached.”

That is quite a bold statement for an agent to make, and speaks to the type of person Arn Tellem is.  At the same time, he is blessed to be surrounded by people and a company (Wasserman Media Group) with deep pockets, so when he makes that kind of claim, he can back it up.  Not many of his competitors could or would do the same.  Henry noticed that and showed his appreciation.

“My agency was behind me, and they were fighting for me.  My agent took a step forward and said if they weren’t willing to cooperate then we were prepared to go as far as we needed on principle. … But I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a while. I’m anxious to play.”

Tellem won’t have to spend any of that money, though.  So who might suffer the most out of all of this?  How about a team that had zero involvement in the entire matter?  The San Antonio Spurs have bucked the trend of throwing 120% to rookies for a long time.  The Spurs load up their rookie contracts with performance bonuses, which if reached, don’t always pay the players the 120% slot ceiling.  Will the battle won by Arn Tellem change things for the Spurs?  They have been extremely quiet over the years regarding their rookie contracts.  Will they now be under the radar.  Will an agent step up and challenge them next year on a rookie deal?

The Grizzlies Cave In To Pressure. Will It Affect Other Teams? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Memphis Grizzlies kick-off their 2010-11 campaign against the Indiana Pacers on October 6.  The date is only a little more than a month away, and the Grizzlies have still yet to lock up their most recent #1 overall pick, Xavier Henry.  They also have failed to sign their second 1st round pick, Greivis Vasquez.  All other teams have signed their domestic 1st round picks.

This whole topic of conversation is a new one for the basketball media to cover.  Traditionally, a 1st round pick signs a deal at the mandatory slot, and the team throws in easily attainable bonus clauses (like promotional appearances on behalf of the team, perform in a conditioning program, and sometimes minutes played), which allows the player to end up with a payment at 120% of the slot (the ceiling as proscribed by the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement).  Some rookie contracts do not contain these bonuses, and the team guarantees all 120% of the slot, but this type of treatment is not the norm.  Occasionally, but very rarely, a team will not give a first rounder a chance to earn 120% of the slot (almost strictly players drafted by the San Antonio Spurs).  Just because giving 1st rounders a chance to earn up to 120% of the slot is standard practice, though, does not mean that the Grizzlies have to follow suit.  And they are trying to break tradition…getting some flack in the media in the process.

The word is that the Grizzlies are willing to sign Xavier Henry to a contract that could be worth up to 120% of the slot that he was selected, but that the bonus clauses are much more difficult for a player to attain than the types of incentives that are more common in 1st round players’ contracts.  Instead of including easy promotional incentives or performance incentives, the Grizz might be trying to push unlikely performance incentives (think along the lines of large minutes played) on Henry and his agent, Arn Tellem.  If the Grizzlies are not in contention for the playoffs, Henry could receive the Nate Robinson treatment, where a team sits a player as a cost prevention strategy.  Such a move could cost Henry $1.7 million over the course of his rookie deal.

I almost want to side with the Grizzlies on being bold to challenge an unwritten rule that has allowed 1st rounders to basically earn 120% of the slot without doing much, but then I remember that the team just paid Rudy Gay over $80 million.

The Memphis Grizzlies Not Budging With Xavier Henry from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

With the NBA playoffs starting to finally matter, the fourteen teams that were not invited to the party have been playing the “Whom do we select if we don’t get the number one or two pick?” game. With what appears to be a John Wall/Evan Turner one-two picks this year, there are actually other players being drafted that will make a difference.

Statistically the top 5 should be/and should draft:

1. New Jersey Nets: (Soon to be Jay-Z’s Brooklyn Ballers): John Wall/Kentucky- it’s the obvious choice
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Evan Turner/Ohio St.- The NCAA player of the year has the most upside in the entire draft. His numbers and play resemble Caron Butler, but Turner is a lot faster and a much better ball handler.
3. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins/Kentucky- After playing the role of schoolyard bully for one year, Cousins enters as the only legitimate low post presence in the draft. Alongside Tyreke Evans, look for Cousins to have a big impact his rookie season.
4. Golden State Warriors: Derrick Favors/Georgia Tech- Long, athletic, and skilled. What more do you need out of a big guy? He could be Chris Bosh, but he has more size. Start salivating, Don Nelson.
5. Washington Wizards: Wesley Johnson/Syracuse: A great talent, but must put weight on to be effective. Has a chance of making a difference for a Wizards team whose starters would be questionable backups for playoff teams.

Unfortunately, the NBA draft stock does not extend as deep as other leagues like the NFL or MLB, but there are still players that will be drafted in the late first round and second round that could have great NBA careers.

Picks that make sense:

18^{th -} Miami Heat: Xavier Henry/ Kansas: The outstanding one year wonder 6’6’’ guard could be a terrific addition to a rebuilding Heat team, if he falls past Chicago. Henry has the potential to be what Q-rich was supposed to be this past season – a contributor.

*If Henry is indeed taken by Chicago or earlier……Heat should select Patrick Patterson/Kentucky: Anyone who has watched Patterson play knows he has an NBA ready body, and the drafting of him by the Heat gives them the option to let go Udonis Haslem or Dorrell Wright to have a little more spending money.

20^{th -} San Antonio Spurs: Larry Sanders/ VCU: A shot blocker and post presence, who under Greg Popovich will become the future of the Spurs with an emerging DeJuan Blair. See if anyone outrebounds them ever, again.

Sleepers and Busts of the 2010 Draft:

Sleepers:

• Dominique Jones/ South Florida: A 6’4’’ guard who can put up points like a top five pick.
• Quincy Pondexter/ Washington: The Senior small forward has all the tools to make a good NBA player; tough defense and scoring mentality will make him a great contributor immediately.

Busts:

• Donatas Motiejunas/Lithuania: Other than being ANOTHER European Seven Footer who lacks a post game, he’s just not good. No matter which way you shape it, he is going to cost some poor GM his job. Bottom line, if the sportscaster has to pause to pronounce it, he won’t make it. (Ex. Dalibor Bagaric Benston Zagreb/ Bulls 24^th overall pick 2000).
• Solomon Alabi/ Florida State: A big, athletic big man who will most likely be drafted top 20. He is raw, lacks sufficient post game, and will probably be forced into a significant role before he is ready.

As the draft closes in and the final names are listed, we will continue to cover all aspects, such as contracts, salaries, and draft board moves.

NBA Early Entry Deadline from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Western Conference playoffs had such promise when the regular season ended. A young Oklahoma City team got an unlucky draw against the big bad Lakers, a coach Karl-less Nuggets team faced the insignificant Jazz, the ever so delicate Trail Blazers tried to finally make a splash against that old Canadian guy in Phoenix. Oh, and the Mavericks played the Spurs, but other than Texas, who really cared?

Unfortunately the West is where you go to have whatever Cinderella hopes there is in professional sports shattered (See Al Davis’ Raiders 2003-forever).

The Rundown:

LA vs. OKC

A scrawny kid who couldn’t lift 185 pounds in a weight room three years ago all of a sudden carried an entire city and franchise to its first playoff series since Ray Allen wore the green and gold in Seattle. Where did it land him? Face to face with arguably one of the best basketball players of all time; oh dear.  However, the Thunder sparked hope in NBA fans, as their team of kids who are barely old enough to drink, took two from the defending champs and tied up the series! Unfortunately all good things must come to an end; it was a shame, though, that it had to be off a Bryant miss and a Gasol last second tip in. (LAL win 4-2)

Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz

The Denver Nuggets have been the team to cheer for since their loveable coach, George Karl, took a leave of absence to fight throat cancer. Unfortunately nobody told his team they were supposed to keep playing! Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams decided to play like the last dynamic duo that laced ’em up for Jerry Sloan and send the Nuggets home. (UTH win 4-2)

PHX vs. POR

Since Brandon Roy became the face of their franchise (better him then Greg Oden and his exploratory photographs), the Portland Trail Blazers have lost their nickname of just ‘Blazers’ and become a fun team to watch over the season. However, they have not been a title contender since Kobe lobbed that ally-oop to Shaq in game 7 of the Western Conference finals in 2000.  All they had to do was stop the Benjamin Button of the NBA in Steve Nash and they move on, right? Wrong. Brandon Roy gots hurt, LaMarcus Aldridge still isn’t a star big man, and Jarron Collins wons a playoff series as a starting center. Yeah that’s right, Jarron Collins. (PHX win 4-2)

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs

A blockbuster trade, rejuvenated roster, and a prehistoric Spurs team should equal an easy opening round series, except that the basketball gods like picking on Mark Cuban because he is like a kid who never learns his lesson.  Thanks to Manu Ginosebleed* and the always classy Tim Duncan, the Spurs once again bent those kids from Dallas over their knee and well, the rest is just history. A thought to keep on the back-burner - If the San Antonio Spurs continue this tough play, with a young bench and good shooting, could they upset the Lakers and once again make David Stern cry over horrific NBA finals ratings? You kind of have to hope so. (SAS win 4-2)

So far this year’s playoffs have been a bit of a disappointment, considering there was a whopping zero games that went into overtime in the West, but the 2 seed and 4 seed lost, yet no one called it an upset? When do the playoffs start getting fun again? I kind of miss the intensity, the loud fans, and the hustle the players show for the unnecessarily long playoff runs.

As for how the West was won: The Spurs beat the Suns in 6, the Lakers beat the Jazz for the third consecutive year in 6 because Kobe starts to make that snarling face and Deron Williams gets spooked. Lakers take down the Old fellas from Texas after a long 7 game series. Congrats Kobe, here is your chance to make that Jordan vs. Bryant comparison everyone loves.

The Not So Wild West 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