Bulls star Zach LaVine has made the decision to leave agencies BDA Sports and Innovate Sports, as first reported by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
LaVine is expected to sign with Rich Paul‘s Klutch Sports Group, which represents players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall. Paul also represents Lonzo Ball, who joined the Bulls via a sign-and-trade agreement earlier this month.
LaVine had been co-represented by Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian. The 26-year-old is entering the final season of a four-year, $78MM deal signed with Chicago in 2018, which means he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021/22 campaign.
LaVine is coming off the first All-Star season of his career, averaging 27.4 points, five rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 51% from the floor and 42% from deep during those contests.
Congrats Rich!
Sometimes agents use the word “racist”
Ben Simmons trade needs to be careful
For Simmons
The early the better
Sill: which GM did that? I missed the story. Thanks.
@Sillvan
what are you referring to?
Obv. Paul. He talks on, relies on, race. Of course others are the racists.
@x%sure
When has Paul used “racism” with regards to a client being traded/ signed or are you breing sarcastic and it flew over my head?
Not sarcastic. He still calls Bill Simmmons racist from LJ’s Miami decision days, which looks more racist than Simmons’s words. He has toned the vitriol down but presumably still represents a racial perspective to clients, based if only on past deeds.
I don’t get your restriction. He would be offering his whole person, as would any agent. There are hundreds to choose; they are going to talk about who they are in their pitch and probably, say why they’re the best choice.
Not for the first time one might wonder if signing with Paul means the player wants to take a stronger stance, maybe a force-out like AD. It takes sustained anger probably to do so, to fight a system making you rich. Rich and riches to the rescue!
@x%sure
Vitriol is a super aggressive word to use. I would hardly call his response to Simmons or take on other issues vitriolic. I lived in Cleveland at the time of The Decision and I hated the whole spectacle. However, I agree that Simmons was wayyyyyyy out of pocket to suggest his decision making was effected because “he didn’t have a father figure in his life”. That is ABSOLUTELY condescending. It suggests that he and his team are incapable of making the business decision for HIM because he was raised without a father figure in his life. And I don’t think he would have said that about most other FA athletes especially white ones. The narrative exists that Paul, Maverick and others are successful only BECAUSE of Lebron instead of being successful because of the doors he’s opened that have ALLOWED their talents to go where they take them. Simmons absolutely was wrong for what he said and him calling it racist doesn’t necessarily mean that he thinks Simmons is a racist but his views CAN be subconsciously influenced by race perception.
The father angle was said by many observers and it always seemed a silly and incorrect thing to worry about. But RP did not specify that angle… maybe he meant that but did not want to elaborate on it so deflected.
But it was way more than Simmons though doing it. I think a teammate’s dad was hired as HC at St.V due to unnecessary father concerns. Stuart Scott said LJ was never disciplined… he must have never sat near HC Keith Drambot, nevermind LJ’s mother.
It is semantics. I would not say RP was to the level that could be called vitriolic, but he used it some for attention at least. Vitriol does not mean lies. It just seems soft to say controversial… RP tries harder than that!
Nerlens Noel is punching the air right now
Am I alone in thinking that this is such a slap in the face to his original agents? They stood by him for his first seven years in the league and just before he is set for a huge payday, he tells them to take a walk so he can get the big name guy.
Business is self interest bro. If he fell off or got injured his agents would drop him like a hot potato if it was in their best interest. Surprised at your stand on this quite frankly, seems obvious to me.
So since them potentially doing it is bad, it makes it okay for him to do it first? I just don’t like people that walk away from the people that helped make you once you make it. In any business. It would be different if you were a small business and in order to expand you needed to find a larger distributor. That is understandable. But in this case, it’s all about the name. And the smaller guy gets screwed over.
I get what you’re saying, but Bill Duffy represents many players including Luka. Nima Namakian represents a few guys including DeAndre Ayton who is going to get a huge bag from Phx. I wouldn’t exactly call them the “little guy”
@hiflew
one can say that most MBA players have done more for the agent than what they’ve done for the player. Salaries are for the most part predetermined. What are they doing beyond the court?
How much do agents take now. It used to be 15%. What is it in the modern world?
Idk what it is now but even at 15% that’s over 5 million a piece for each agent off of the $78M contract Lavine signed. They aren’t hurting.
Nowhere near that in the NBA. I think something in the 2-4% range is more standard.
3 to 5 percent usually
@hiflew
I kind of am the same thinking about loyalty but really, in the NBA salaries are pretty much predetermined. It’s not like his agent negotiated for more than what the limits were. On the other hand, Paul sits on the board at United Talent Agency one of the big 5 agencies. And of course his affiliation with Maverick and Springhill Entertainment opens up plenty of off-court business opps and that’s really the difference between a sports agent and a super agent with tentacles beyond the sport. Paul has nurtured opps outside of sports.
The previous agents made a percentage of the previous contract that they worked on. Now it’s time for a new contract. I’m sure it ends simultaneously. Seems rational and ok to me, beyond what anyone might represent.
They’re not little guys.
BTW in Lavines’ case, they agents did great, if getting top dollar for the player is great. People (like the majority of posters to HR) said he would never be a winner. Correct, so far.
Many more thought the Lavine contract overpaid then say that about say the Boston contracts. Many Bulls fans did not want him at all.
@x%sure
Posters are being too emotional. Agents in the NBA probably do the least amount of work if ALL they bring to the table is nba money. Contracts have limits. Not much to negotiate for the agents of the top players.
Gonna be insane when he winds up on lakers next year
Sign and trade for Westbrick? How many 1st rounders is LA giving up? Or do the Lakers have some secret TPE worth over $30M no one knows about?
Wow, so much hate from wally, not surprised. Russ will be an expiring contract, one first will be enough for a team like OKC to take him.
So much hate? Where? Only stating the facts, just like I always do.
Luke has taken the time to write literally hundreds of articles about the salary cap (which I applaud him for) but apparently almost no one here even bothers to take the time to read any of them. Also Westbrook is not on an expiring contract, although he does have a player option in 2022. Not surprised to be called out for no reason.
Yo Wally
1)When Lavine hits FA next summer, Russ will be on an expiring deal.
2) OKC required just one first rounder for taking on Horfords deal, so it’s fair to assume they will eat Russ’s salary for the same price
3) The hate is real. Weren’t you RussMVP just a year ago? He went from MVP to westbrick so fast, you just a hater
Trolling again. Lol. I WISH that could happen.
Noooo
Rich Paul is a Biter and a Rider. Zach is not a max player to me. So Bulls better get ready to pay the Max. The Bulls have sucked all the yrs Zach has been there. Knicks supposedly don’t have a star. Yet were the East Fourth seed strictly on effort. That’s what a coach and a player (Randle) can do. Good luck Bulls, you will need it.
He will be when the Bulls are a finalist in the East
In this scenario of yours, how many teams in the East are going out of business?
every team the bulls face
@Knicker
You’re hilarious. Bitter about what? Coming out of East Cleveland to becoming one of the most powerful agents, board member of Untied Talent Agency and boo to Adele? You’re a weirdo. Dude is winning at life. Not jocking him but give respect where respect is due.
still being hilarious and daydreamer
knicks were 4th because of the 2 covid affected seasons. lets see what happens after thibs coach you for a couple of more seasons and players start breaking down