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Agent Selection Scenarios: Duke Basketball

Duke is always a lock to make the NCAA Tournament and usually a good team to pick making the Final Four in your office pool.  The school also churns out plenty of talented players who have long, successful careers in the NBA.  Here are some names of Duke alumni who have played professionally, along with their agents of record.

  • Grant Hill – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
  • Christian Laettner – Lon Babby (Williams & Connolly). Babby is now the President of Basketball Operations for the Phoenix Suns.
  • Elton Brand – David Falk (FAME)
  • Shane Battier – James Tanner (Williams & Connolly)
  • Carlos Boozer – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
  • Chris Duhon – Kevin Bradbury (BDA Sports)
  • Mike Dunleavy – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
  • Dahntay Jones – Aaron Mintz (Priority Sports)
  • Daniel Ewing – Thad Foucher (Wasserman Media Group)
  • J.J. Redick – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
  • Shelden Williams – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
  • Corey Maggette – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)
  • Luol Deng – Jason Levien (LSR). Levien became general counsel and assistant GM of the Sacramento Kings and it is likely that Deng has either hired a new agent or is still in the market for one.
  • Josh McRoberts – Bob Myers (Wasserman Media Group)

This year, the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft could be coming out of Duke.  Kyrie Irving is projected to be one of the top picks in the Draft.  The talented freshman suffered a toe injury that has kept him out of much of this season.  Other Blue Devils expected to be selected are seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler.  It is assumed that Smith will go ahead of Singler.  If Mason Plumlee decides to leave early, he could be a first rounder.

Looking at the list of Duke players along with their agents, Wasserman Media Group stands out from the pack.  Tellem, Myers, and Foucher do work!  And they also have B.J. Armstrong to assist in recruiting.  If you are not one of the big name agencies, it is doubtful that you have a shot securing a top Blue Devil.  Good luck competing against WMG, BDA, Landmark, FAME, Priority Sports, and Williams & Connolly (who takes more of a “lawyer approach” and charges by the hour up to a certain percentage of the player’s contract).

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.

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