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It’s Draft Season: NBA

The NBA Draft is quickly approaching (June 28th), and this is the prime time for players who have entered their name into the pool of possible selections to select an agent. Players who are just testing the waters, are putting their name out there without taking on any representation. A player that is testing the waters may sign an agent after he is selected, if he wishes to accept the offer proposed by the team that selected him. Underclassmen that are unsure of their draft position and want to retain NCAA eligibility in case they do not like their offer usually choose to test the waters instead of select an agent pre-draft. Once an underclassman signs with an agent, he loses NCAA eligibility and can never again play for a collegiate team.

Now that I got that explanation out of the way, I would like to present a great database that DraftExpress has been hard at work creating. The 2007 NBA Draft Prospect Agent Listings is a mock draft ordered list of players that reveals their agent, if they are undecided, or if they are going to choose to test the waters. Kudos to Jonathan Givony for attempting to compile this database.

On a side-note, you may remember my (rough) attempt at live-blogging the NFL draft with a listing of agents. Sports Business Daily released a list of the first 4 rounds of players selected with their agents listed. In addition, the publication noted that the agency Sportstars, led the pack with 14 clients drafted, beating CAA and Domann and Pittman by 1 pick. Sportstars includes these agents: Lester Archambeau, Dave Butz, Jason Chayut, Bill Heck, Alan Herman, Jim Ivler, and Brian Mackler.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.