Stephen Curry has signed a 4-year, $44 million extension with the Golden State Warriors. If his agent takes a 4% commission on the total contract, that agent will receive $1.76 million. But who will be the agent that collects the commissions on the deal?
The cause for confusion is that basketball agent Lance Young recently left Octagon and its basketball division, and is expected to join Jeff Schwartz’s Excel Sports Management. While at Octagon, Young co-represented Curry. In fact, last month Young was quoted regarding a possible extension with the Warriors and said, “I’m very optimistic about getting a deal done. I think we can get something done by the 31st.” He was right; an extension was signed. But was Young involved and will he get a cut of the action?
Multiple sources have told Sports Agent Blog that all of Lance Young’s basketball clients stayed with Octagon pursuant to the contract Lance Young signed with his former employer. According to someone with ties to the agency, the Curry extension was brokered by Octagon basketball agent Jeff Austin. I reached out to Octagon for comment on the matter and to determine whether Young will be entitled to any cut of the commission received from Curry’s extension, but understandably, a representative of the company explained that he cannot comment until everything regarding Young’s departure is resolved.
Update (11/1 – 1:52 p.m. EST): Octagon has informed Sports Agent Blog that Jeff Austin has always been Curry’s lead agent since he turned pro in 2009 and that Curry remains Austin’s client. Further, Austin negotiated Curry’s extension and Octagon will get the agent fees. Octagon also mentioned that Austin even represented Stephen’s father, Dell, during his 16-year NBA career.
