Jay Z Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Davis, Knicks, Jay Z, Nets

September 23rd, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There's been a little news out of New York already today, as we heard Ike Diogu will join the Knicks next week when training camp opens. We've got a few more Monday links related to New York's two teams to round up, so let's dive in and check out the latest on the Knicks and Nets….

While Diogu and Josh Powell received camp invites from the Knicks, another player who worked out for the team last week remains a free agent: Ricky Davis. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Davis looked solid during the workout, but adds that otherwise there's nothing new to report on that front.
In grading the Knicks' offseason, Begley awards the highest marks for the club's two mid-level signings: Pablo Prigioni and Metta World Peace.
Jay Z has given the NBPA proof that he sold his stake in the Nets and is now officially certified as an NBA agent, reports Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal. We heard a similar report from Mullen back in June, but that story may have been premature, since it appears the rapper hadn't officially divested himself of his Nets share at that point.
One of the most interesting storylines to watch during October will involve the Nets, according to Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. Brigham writes that Brooklyn's veteran additions probably won't get a ton of minutes before the regular season gets underway, but the preseason should provide some clues about how they'll fit together, and whether the team will be a real threat in the East.

Odds & Ends: 2014 Draft, Jay Z, Wolves, Mavs

September 9th, 2013 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We're 290 days away from the 2014 NBA draft, but for ESPN.com's Chad Ford, it's by no means too early to forecast next June's first round. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Ford presents his first 2014 mock draft, headlined by a top five of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, and Jabari Parker.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

The NBPA is still waiting for official confirmation that Jay Z has divested his ownership stake in the Nets before granting him full NBA agent certification, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). We heard last week that the rapper is selling half his Nets share to head coach Jason Kidd, and the other half to a current minority owner.
The Timberwolves officially announced today that they've hired Bobby Jackson as a player development coach and promoted David Adelman, Rick Adelman's son, to assistant coach (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune adds (via Twitter) that the Wolves didn't pick up Shawn Respert's option at the end of August, leaving Jackson as the team's only player development coach.
Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com loves the Mavericks' decision to re-sign Brandan Wright to a two-year, $10MM contract, giving the team a grade of A+ for the move. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, though it looks like a solid value for Dallas.
Speaking to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Marcus Camby discusses his decision to sign with the Rockets, the recruitment he received from Dwight Howard, and his plan to coach after his playing career is over.
In a piece for Secret Rival, Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro examines a few former Big East standouts, rounding up where they're playing now. You can take a more in-depth look at the latest international player movement in our tracker, which we introduced earlier today.

Jason Kidd Buying Jay Z’s Share Of Nets

September 4th, 2013 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

10:13am: Jay Z is only selling half of his stake to Kidd, and will sell the other half to a current minority owner, according to Nets Daily, adding that Shawn Carter actually owned one-sixth of one percent of the team. Those numbers would make a little more sense, since the rapper reportedly invested $1MM in the team initially.

9:28am: When Jay Z officially became a certified NBA agent this summer, it became necessary for the rapper and entrepreneur to divest himself of his small stake in the Nets. And according to a New York Post report, the team's new minority owner will be another familiar face: head coach Jason Kidd. Sources inform the Post that Kidd will take over Jay Z's stake in the Nets (just 1/15th of one percent) for about $500K.

"Other owners want to give Jason a part ownership of the team, and urged Jay to sell his shares to him," a source told the Post.

Considering how quickly the Nets moved to bring Kidd back to the franchise following his retirement as a player, it doesn't come as a huge surprise that the club is interested in involving him in the ownership side of things as well. It's certainly a signal that Brooklyn is comfortable investing in the first-time head coach though.

As for Jay Z, he'll focus on his agency, Roc Nation Sports, which reportedly landed Kevin Durant as its first big-name NBA client earlier in the offseason.

Jay-Z Becomes Certified NBA Agent

June 19th, 2013 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has been certified to represent NBA players in contract negotiations, NBPA director of agent administration Robert Gadson confirmed to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter link). As such, NBA players can now officially be represented by Jay-Z and his Roc Nation Sports agency.

We heard back in April that the man also known as Shawn Carter had started his own sports agency and aimed to become certified as an agent in multiple professional sports. Roc Nation Sports launched via a partnership with Creative Artists Agency, though it is its own company as well. Kevin Durant became the first big-name NBA player to commit to Roc Nation earlier this month, leaving former agent Rob Pelinka at Landmark Sports to join Jay-Z's agency.

Durant is signed to a long-term contract, so he won't require any negotiations in free agency this offseason — we'll have to wait to see if Roc Nation Sports signs any free-agents-to-be in the coming weeks, as free agency nears. Potential first overall pick Nerlens Noel was rumored to be considering signing with Roc Nation, but ultimately chose Andy Miller and Frank Catapano as his reps.

It's also unclear whether Jay-Z has officially sold his small stake in the Brooklyn Nets. Although Jay-Z held just a fraction of 1% of the franchise, it would seem to represent a conflict of interest if he were both an NBA agent and a part-owner of one of the league's teams.