Freshman phenom, Ben Simmons, out of LSU is expected to sign with agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports for his representation in this summer’s NBA Draft, league sources told The Vertical.
Rich Paul has made a name for himself within the NBA, as he currently represents LeBron James and a handful of other NBA players including Tristan Thompson, Eric Bledsoe, Norris Cole, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and John Wall.
Although Simmons going to the NBA does not come as a surprise to many, the move seems inevitable now that LSU decided to reject a NIT bid this past weekend. Simmons has ties to Klutch Sports that extend off the court, since his older sister Emily Bush, has been a marketing/branding employee since 2014. She was hired shortly after James and Paul started recruiting Simmons as a potential future client after Simmons attended the LeBron James Skills Academy in 2014. It has been an expected move within the basketball industry and is thought to be the only real agency that Simmons considered.
The 6’10” Australian native averaged 19.2 points and 11.8 rebounds in an up-and-down season for the Tigers. He is considered the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and will train in either Cleveland or Los Angeles once his agreement is signed.
Klutch Sports was founded in September 2012 by Rich Paul, after learning from Leon Rose at Creative Artists Agency (LeBron’s first agent). It is located in Cleveland.