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Grizzlies Taking A Beating Leading Up To The Draft

memphis skyline

The NBA Draft is this Thursday?  Doesn’t it seem like there has been much less press/hype/coverage leading up to this year’s draft?  There are no LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, or Dwyane Wade caliber players in this year’s draft pool, but there are plenty of guys ready to contribute strong minutes in the NBA.

Even though there are less opportunities for players to showcase their skills in front of NBA teams, it seems like the athletes don’t mind.  In fact, many players are opting out of invitations to work out in front of scouts and GMs.  Some teams have taken a worse media backlash than others.  Chad Ford of ESPN.com thinks that the Memphis Grizzlies, in particular, are struggling with some image problems.  He quotes an unnamed person as saying,

“[The Grizzlies] don’t spend any money anymore. They don’t have a commitment to put a winning team on the floor right now. It’s not where an agent wants to send his star pick.”

Agents do have a lot of sway when it comes to where their superstar clients are picked.  A lot of that decision often revolves around the market of the city that the team plays in, the players already on the team, and the money that teams ordinarily dish out.  For rookies, though, that first contract is pretty much set in stone depending on the slot you get selected.

Memphis isn’t all that bad!  There is good BBQ, and it’s home of the Memphis Redbirds, where Pete Parise is tearing it up.

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.