HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Jorge Sierra

- What does Josh Childress signing with a foreign team mean for the NBA?

David Bauman (agent for Andrew Bogut and Predrag Stojakovic): That signing will have a huge impact on the thinking of general managers and agents around the league. No longer will GMs be able to make low offers to players, or threaten them with the “right to match” any offer. Furthermore, when given a choice of the mid-level (roughly $5.5 million, minus 50 percent for taxes, or $2.8 million net) or signing for $5 or $6 million (net of taxes) in Europe, the decision is easy for some players.  Furthermore, in Europe the clubs provide plane tickets for family members to visit, nice houses and apartments, luxury cars, schooling for children, and the clubs pay an agents’ fee of up to 10 percent.  The time is coming when Europe will be a viable alternative for NBA players, just as David Beckham left England to play in Spain, and then left Spain to play in the MLS.

Bill Neff (agent for Jason Hart and Kevin Ollie): It adds a bit of leverage, for sure. But I will bet any amount of money he does not finish his contract there and returns here. He got more there, but at what price? Will he ultimately be happier? I think not.

Chris Luchey (agent for Wilson Chandler): In my opinion it begins to change the entire dynamics of free agency. Teams being conservative in the past based on restricted free agents will now have a much larger and more efficient threat. How do you match an European offer?

Guy Zucker (agent for Thabo Sefolosha and Ryan Bowen): It means that this has become a truly global market, that is now relevant for a larger number of NBA players, where the NBA is still the biggest but not the only significant player.

Bill McCandless (agent for Mickael Pietrus): Most agents have for some time regarded restricted free agency as an oxymoron.  With certain exceptions, restricted free agents have not be truly free.  And during a player’s RFA year, it has been historically unlikely that the free agent will be fairly compensated by his team or another team willing to make an offer. But Childress’ willingness to play outside the NBA, in his prime, means that teams may think twice about letting the player dangle all summer long.  And now, while Europe might have been an option for Nachbar and other European-born players, it seems that the smartest American players can jump to Europe and make more money.

- Do you see the beginning of a trend here?

DB: The salary cap is only getting tighter… I don’t see a player like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant signing in Europe, but the players who are at the next level down will have some serious options.

BN: I do not necessarily see a trend. It is nice that there is competition for a player’s services since the CBA does not provide it.

CL: The trend is being set that some players may opt for their market value regardless of what league they are in. NBA teams now have to deal with offers from a market that they have no control of. It can reshape the collective bargaining agreement and the free agency market.

GZ: It’s way past the beginning. Players will go where the money is the highest, in general. The trend has more to do with bigger global economic factors – the weakening of the dollar vs. euro and the explosion of energy prices, which benefits Russia, for example – than with basketball factors. Obviously, with more players leaving, it has also become more acceptable to go the foreign route.

BM: Yes, I do see a trend. European teams are getting bigger and bigger budgets, and now have the ability to lure American players to their leagues.

- How big a hit to restricted free agency is this?

DB: In the past, it has always been assumed that restricted free agents were stuck. They either had to take a team’s lowball offer of an extension, get an offer sheet, or sign the qualifying offer and play one more year.  Now players can simply sign in Europe and leave their NBA shocked and holding their rights but nothing more. It is interesting to note that I just signed Andrew Bogut to a five-year, $72.5 million contract extension with Milwaukee. The Bucks value Andrew, respected him, and offered him a very fair contract to commit to the Bucks. It is clear that they did not want to leave anything to chance – an offer sheet next summer, Andrew signing the qualifying offer and leaving as an unrestricted free agent, or something as crazy as a huge offer from Europe. But neither Andrew nor I wanted to have to deal with restricted free agency either… The system is overly restricted and it is not allowing the free flow of free agents.

BN: If the management had their way, there would be no free agency so Josh Childress will be a speck on the horizon. I hope he gets all his money there. Very few players do.

CL: I think this move will help several of the free agents available now. Josh Smith, Iguodala and others should benefit from it, in my opinion. I think this move will help several of the free agents available now.

GZ: It’s a significant hit, since restricted free agency is rarely free agency, in reality, if players have only one market to choose from. Now they have better alternatives, in some cases.

BM: I am not sure that every NBA team is shaking in its boots at the prospect of losing its stars, but for mid-level American players and all European players except stars, players who are good rotation players, Europe is a serious option.

- Would you have adviced one of your players to do the same thing Childress did?

DB: My advice to any of my players with respect to contract offers is to weigh the pros and the cons. If a European club makes an offer to one of my NBA players, I would encourage him to look at it seriously. What Lon Babby and Jim Tanner did with Josh Childress was sound advice… They asked him to have an open mind, and by traveling to Greece and seeing the reality over there, he is able to judge their offer both on financial terms and in terms of the reality of what life in Greece would be like.

BN: I certainly would have looked for leverage so they did nothing wrong. I just hope they explained to him that the Greek tax rate is significantly less than our tax rate so he will have substantial taxes here. We live in an irrational market. Chris Duhon can make $6 million while Matt Barnes makes $926,000. In essence, we have a hard cap so I love that they looked around when there was no real competition for his services and as long as he understands these things and still makes an informed decision, more power to him.

CL: I think each specific player and situation is different, depends on the numbers and more importantly the maturity of the player.

GZ: Absolutely yes!

BM: At $21 million, net of taxes, who wouldn’t have advised his client to take a look? The world is getting smaller and smaller, and where would you really rather live: a smaller market U.S. city in the snow belt or Athens?

- What are the main downsides to leaving the NBA for Europe?

DB: The main downsides to leaving the NBA is the quality of play and the lifestyle. The NBA starts training camp in October and the regular season ends in mid-April. Non-playoff teams are done by April 18. The player gets the spring, summer and part of fall to himself. In Europe, the season starts mid-August, and runs through June. That is 10 months! Although the number of games played is less than or equal to the NBA, it is spread out over an additional three months. There are no back-to-back games, rather a maximum of three games per week. Usually, there is one game on a weekend, and one game midweek.

The other aspects are adjusting to a foreign country. Most European players coming to the NBA get homesick, miss their family and friends and hate the food. It takes them about one year to adjust. I think the same can be expected for an American going to Europe, especially a top NBA player who expected to be competing for an NBA championship.

I also think players might experience regret about leaving the comfy confines of the NBA – private planes, four seasons hotels, nice arenas, well-behaved fans, respectful refereeing, and a well-organized league. Europe is Europe – nice for a time, but I don’t know if a top NBA guy – a Childress, Josh Smith, or a Corey Maggette would enjoy it over there. Guys like Bogut, Stojakovic, Radmanovic (who are all my clients) would certainly be able to do it without hesitation because they are international players. But the top American players, I am not sure if that is a recipe for success.

BN: A contract there is not really worth the paper it is written on. Payments can be slow, a coach can change his mind on you after a few games and he will still be restricted when he returns.

CL: I think at the end of the day every American-born basketball player wants to play at the highest level, which is the NBA.

GZ: Much longer season, living further away from home and possibly losing on a potentially bigger NBA deal in the future.

BM: A restricted free agent leaving the NBA will remain a restricted free agent in the future. A year in Europe does not remove the RFA tag.

How does it feel to be inducted to the Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Renaissance Leaders?

Bill Duffy: Wow, that has to be the highligh of your life. Being recognized by anything that has to do with MLK, whom I admire so I much and think was one of the four most humanitarian people ever, that’s simply amazing. Just having that recognition from that type of association is overwhelming.

Why do you think you have a better reputation than most NBA agents?

BD: Well, I think other agents would argue that because this is a very cutthroat and negative business. I respect all of the other agents that are successful because I understand the difficulties of this business. There’s such a negative nature to this thing. How distasteful is to see the how the recruiting goes sometimes… I think maybe other people try to help their reputations by criticizing others. My philosophy is to always try to talk about what we do and speak for ourselves because we can’t really speak for anybody else. I think that people that are significant and rational understand what we do. And what we do is look out for the interest of our players long-term. We try to make our clients see that you need a vision, that you should try to do things that position yourself for the future. When you are a pro athlete, you have the chance to meet a lot of people, to network with a lot of people… And those are things that we want them to see. I think that our responsibility is to educate our clients so that they are visionaries, so that they don’t live from check to check.

Since the business can be so nasty, have you ever considered quitting?

BD: No, because I almost feel that I would let a lot of people down. That’s the main reason. I wouldn’t want to walk away from my responsibilities. At the same time, I do get cynical sometimes and I ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” … More often than not it’s because it can get really draining to deal with the people that surround some players. You try to instill this vision that you should do the right thing to change the fate of your family, to build a legacy that lasts, that it’s not all for the moment… But a lot of people, especially around the players, don’t see things like that. And I admit it sometimes can get very frustrating. There’s got to be a balance between enjoying the moment and positioning yourself for the future.

When was the last time that you thought that… “Why am I doing this?”

BD: (Laughs) Well, it was… It’s always those times when you see some people that just don’t get it. Sometimes you are disappointed because you think you have made an impression on somebody and you find out that it’s not really that way and they don’t show any kind of loyalty.

Do you think it matters to have a good reputation in this business? There are agents known to be pretty dirty that are also very successful.

BD: That’s because of the money aspect. With nasty agents, it’s all about the money. And I guess it’s OK as long as the players understand their agents don’t care about them and that they just care about the business and the money.

When trying to recruit players for your agency, what is fair game and what is crossing the line?

BD: If you start the relationship with the player doing something unethical or borderline unethical. But anyway, that’s going to define your relationship with him. You are blind if you think he’s not going to do to you what he did to other people. It’s like cheating. If one person cheated on somebody with you, how can you expect that he’s not going to cheat on you with others down the road?

When a player changes agents and hires you to represent him… How’s that work? Who makes the first contact?

BD: Agents usually become aware when a player is dissatisfied. And when that happens, you attack the client. But in our case, I’m not embarrassed to say players approach us very often. For example, Linas Kleiza of the Denver Nuggets. When he was going to cut ties with his agent, he approached us because we had recruited him in the past. He was the one to initiate the contact. In the past few years, it’s happened with other players like Mike James, Amir Johnson and Sasha Vujacic. It’s kind of flattering that players do that because it says a lot about the reputation you’ve built around the league.

Can you explain what’s the situation between Carmelo Anthony and your agency? Because there have been conflicting reports about what’s really going on between BDA Sports and Carmelo…

BD: First of all, I have to say that we love Carmelo. We’ve always given him huge support in everything that he’s done in basketball and elsewhere. He’s been great to work with. And I fully respect what he’s doing. He wants independence and to structure his own vision on what he wants to do in business. Whatever he chooses, I fully support that. And I understand it.

Do you think there could be a trend that stars such as Carmelo Anthony will get agents like you to deal with the basketball side of business and hire other people to deal other things in the business that are not strictly basketball related?

BD: It should be that way! Players like Carmelo can build their own empire. It’s no different to other investors. With the kind of connections you can build in the position he is, you have the chance to develop multiple strategies. I applaud that if he wants to do it. Our role as basketball agents is to secure his career, that he gets his contracts… But you don’t need a basketball agent forever. At 35 your career is probably over, but your life is not. And you don’t need an agent for your life. So any alliances you can build with all types of different people when you are still playing, I think that’s going to pay off when you’re not playing.

How is a typical conversation with one of your players on the phone? When they call you, what do they want?

BD: We encourage our players to call even if it’s something minor, but it’s normally just checking in. Talking about what’s going good and bad. We have 20 people working in our office, so they are going to be taken care of and we’ll make sure the players and their families are doing well. Then there’s these times when there are rumors about trades or contract negotiations and some players get nervous. So your job then is to comfort them.

Are they nervous often? Would you say players are insecure people?

BD: They are justifiably insecure. People see them making millions and playing under the spotlight, but they live a life where there’s constant pressure. High pressure. Just by traveling with them, you get to see how draining it can get. All the flights, the tough schedules, having always to be ready and with your game face… It’s a challenge. Then you have all the media scrutiny and sometimes family issues that you cannot deal with because you’re away. It’s amazing how they manage to stay consistent through all that. I respect them a lot and I understand that they can often feel insecure.

Which of the guys you represent you’re the closest with? Steve Nash maybe?

BD: I wouldn’t say anyone. We’re there for everybody. You work for all of them and respect all of them. Some players are more engaging that others. You can speak about politics and other things with them… But you treat all of them the same.

That’s kind of a political answer you just gave me… You don’t have any player that you like more than others?

BD: (Laughs) You can have no preference, but I’m glad to say that I have a great relationship with some of our retired players. Terrell Brandon, for example. He’s a few years removed from playing in the NBA and still his mother called me the other day to take part in an event with Terrell and to tell me how grateful they both were. And that meant a lot to me. Another example of a great relationship is Anthony Carter. When he got married in Hawaii, I was one of just four people invited to the wedding. It makes me proud that he thinks I’ve had enough of an impact on his life that he wanted me to be at his wedding.

Tell me a little bit about what happened with Anthony Carter a few years back (BDA Sports did not pick up the $4.1 player option he had with the Miami Heat). Was that your worst experience as an agent?

BD: Yeah. It was something that shouldn’t have happened, but it did for a simple reason… The person who was in charge of doing that had a serious health issue, a life-threatening issue at the time when the contract option had to be picked up. That’s why the oversight occurred. After that happened, I basically took control of the situation and I can say Anthony Carter didn’t lose a dime. He got all the money. Now he’s starting for a contending team. A lot of people, competitors, recognized our move. Others, I know, have used the mistake to criticize us, but that’s all it was. It was a life-threatening situation that didn’t allow one of our guys to do his work. There was no negligence.

Anthony remains a client and is like a family member to me. I remember when he left college that he blew up his shoulder in the pre-draft camp and a lot of agents that were trying to get him backed away, because the common thinking is that when you get injured during the draft process you are not going to get drafted. But we kept recruiting him. And I think that showed to him that we have a sense of loyalty. I was loyal to him then and he was loyal to me when this thing occurred. I was tested and he was tested. And we stood for each other. That’s how life works. There’s going to be adversities in life and how you deal with them is what’s going to define you.

You were drafted by the Nuggets a lot of years ago. Did you ever think you had a shot at playing with them or any other team in the NBA?

BD: I was drafted in 1982 and that year the Nuggets selected another three guards. I went to summer camp hoping that I would be released soon and might get a chance with other team. But I lasted longer than expected and didn’t get that chance. I was prudent enough to see that playing pro basketball was not something that I should pursue, pursue, pursue… And anyway, I was more business oriented already at that point. I’m happy with my past and the decisions I made. Today there are 30 teams with 15 roster spots each. Had that been the situation back then, I would probably have had a career in the NBA. But no regrets. I have been more successful doing this than I would’ve ever been playing basketball.

You donated money to the Barack Obama campaign. Why was that?

BD: Obama represents a world of change and especially change in the way our country is perceived around the planet. Right now, our leadership is detached from the rest world. Having traveled around the world due to my business, I learned that diplomacy and communicaction are really the key. I think Obama can change the tone of how our country deals with the world. Just because he could be the representative of our country being a multiracial person, I think the perception they have about us will change. I also like that he has a more peaceful and humanitarian approach to foreign policy, whereas others have business-oriented agendas. Also, he is a person that has no chronies around him that he needs to appease.

And besides all that, him being president would mean a lot to me because, as African American, I care a lot about how we are portrayed – especially in the media. By having a person of color as president, a lot of perceptions will change, stereotypes could come to an end and racial divides (because you know the main one is black vs. whites) could be eased.

Are you pitching him to your players?

BD: Yes. You know Greg Oden spoke with him recently. We all understand the significance of that. I tell them that if you support him, it will be important. Greg will not say, “Go and vote for Obama.” But he will say, “Go and vote.” And he has let it be known that he supports Obama’s cause. At the end of the day, Greg’s vote is just one vote. But his voice, what he says, can be very powerful. We always want to make it clear on them, on our players, how influential they can be and that it’s a good thing that they are active and involved in these things.

Then you have Steve Nash, who is one of our most vocal players. He took a lot of heat when he spoke about the war in Iraq, especially being Canadian. And by the way, I think Canada is an admirable country. But I told him he should not apologize for speaking out about the war because even though he isn’t American he was paying more taxes here than any of the people that were critizicing him (laughs).

Maybe I’m putting you on the spot with this… You’re an advocate of democracy and human rights. At the same time, Yao Ming is one of your clients. And he’s basically the face of the Olympic Games for China. So what are yout thoughts on the boycott threats to the Beijing Games after seeing what China is doing in Tibet?

BD: First thing, athletes suffer boycotts more than anybody else. I know about the gravity of what’s going on, but boycotting wouldn’t be the solution. In these situations, you sit and discuss and talk about your beliefs and try to make an impression on the other side. China is a major global presence, but you can’t change one country’s culture from one day to the other. The focus has to be on engagement and communication and not pushing things on people. There should be a dialogue. The violation of human rights is a serious thing that has to be talked about. But we can’t be as aggressive as we’ve been with other countries. There are diplomatic and economic measures than can be taken, but above all there should always be dialogue and diplomacy.

Warriors forward Al Harrington has hired Dan Fegan to represent him, one source told HoopsHype.com. Harrington, who is averaging 14.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg with Golden State this season, recently fired Arn Tellem.

Warriors forward Al Harrington recently fired agent Arn Tellem, sources told HoopsHype.com. Tellem, whose clients include Tracy McGrady, Pau Gasol and Jermaine O’Neal, is the No.1 agent on HoopsHype.com’s list. His players will make a combined $205 million this season on NBA contracts alone.

Harrington chose Tellem in the summer of 2006 after dumping Andy Miller.