StrengthAndHonor
01-14-2015, 04:03 PM
Just how much power does LeBron James (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/927/lebron-james) wield in the Cavaliers organization?
And by extension how much sway does his agent, Rich Paul – who says LeBron considers the agency and other clients to be family (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/07/rich-paul-says-lebron-james-considers-agency-and-clients-family/) – hold in Cleveland?
Tristan Thompson (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/1852/tristan-thompson) really want to know.
Paul cleared the way for LeBron’s return to the Cavaliers (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/07/reports-lebron-james-agent-has-cavaliers-believing-they-can-sign-lebron/), and no matter how much they’ve struggled so far, they should be grateful to land an NBA superstar. One of the ways they could express their gratitude is awarding Thompson, another client of Paul’s Klutch Sports agency, a hefty new contract.
It seems they tried.
James is the biggest reason Klutch Sports exists, and he's an active recruiter of high school, college and current NBA players to join the agency. Of course, plenty of players help their agents recruit. So when James committed as a free agent in July, everyone understood there was a tax – spoken or unspoken – that would come with James' return, that would manifest itself in an above-market deal for Thompson.
Thompson's a rebounder, a defender, an energy guy. He isn't a starter on a playoff team, but he has a good attitude, a good motor and could be a role player anywhere in the NBA. Paul isn't the first agent to leverage a more prominent client's extension against another, nor the last.
Even so, at what price? Within the NBA, officials expected maybe $10 million a year, perhaps $12 million if Klutch wanted to push it. Well, they kept pushing it. Thompson turned down a $13 million-a-year extension offer – four-years, $52 million, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
For a player of Thompson's stature, this is an incredible risk. An injury could cost him lifetime security. Nothing close to that money exists on the restricted free-agent market this summer, but with James on a one-year deal, Klutch can try to leverage the Cavaliers all over again to get the deal they want – or simply take the one that was already offered.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cavs-need-lebron-james-to-show-leadership-he-promised-173753124.html
And by extension how much sway does his agent, Rich Paul – who says LeBron considers the agency and other clients to be family (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/07/rich-paul-says-lebron-james-considers-agency-and-clients-family/) – hold in Cleveland?
Tristan Thompson (http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/1852/tristan-thompson) really want to know.
Paul cleared the way for LeBron’s return to the Cavaliers (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/07/reports-lebron-james-agent-has-cavaliers-believing-they-can-sign-lebron/), and no matter how much they’ve struggled so far, they should be grateful to land an NBA superstar. One of the ways they could express their gratitude is awarding Thompson, another client of Paul’s Klutch Sports agency, a hefty new contract.
It seems they tried.
James is the biggest reason Klutch Sports exists, and he's an active recruiter of high school, college and current NBA players to join the agency. Of course, plenty of players help their agents recruit. So when James committed as a free agent in July, everyone understood there was a tax – spoken or unspoken – that would come with James' return, that would manifest itself in an above-market deal for Thompson.
Thompson's a rebounder, a defender, an energy guy. He isn't a starter on a playoff team, but he has a good attitude, a good motor and could be a role player anywhere in the NBA. Paul isn't the first agent to leverage a more prominent client's extension against another, nor the last.
Even so, at what price? Within the NBA, officials expected maybe $10 million a year, perhaps $12 million if Klutch wanted to push it. Well, they kept pushing it. Thompson turned down a $13 million-a-year extension offer – four-years, $52 million, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
For a player of Thompson's stature, this is an incredible risk. An injury could cost him lifetime security. Nothing close to that money exists on the restricted free-agent market this summer, but with James on a one-year deal, Klutch can try to leverage the Cavaliers all over again to get the deal they want – or simply take the one that was already offered.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cavs-need-lebron-james-to-show-leadership-he-promised-173753124.html