Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Minnesota Timberwolves budding superstar forward Andrew Wiggins and his agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports have severed ties.
In the mayhem that has been the NBA offseason and free agency thus far, there has been huge contracts given out by teams vying to sign their coveted players. Seen as a rising star in the NBA by many, Andrew Wiggins and his representation team had been in extension talks for what seems like all summer. The 22-year-old is entering his third NBA season and has been seeking a max deal from the Timberwolves.
His agent, Bill Duffy, the chairman of BDA Sports, had represented him for his entire professional career and negotiated a five-year, $148 million max extension for his client. Duffy is one of the NBA’s most prominent agents and has an expansive client list of both active and retired NBA and international players. According to the article, Duffy had been made aware of rival agencies and potential start-up enterprises that were recruiting Wiggins with promises of taking no commission fees on contracts, which would include the max-deal.
With the fickle nature that is the representation industry, players can leave agents whenever they choose. However, the NBPA has guidelines that compensate previous agents for deals negotiated under their watch. With the commission of NBA contracts being capped at 4 percent, Duffy would be in line to bring in $5,920,000 from the Wiggins max deal.
Duffy had the following statement with ESPN:
“We are disappointed that Andrew made this decision, especially after a three-year partnership where we worked closely with Andrew and his entire family. Unfortunately, tampering is a common problem in our industry, and that’s part of the reason why I’ve already been in contact with the NBPA to discuss my rights in this matter. Obviously, whenever Andrew signs the max extension that we negotiated with Minnesota, we will work with the NBPA to make sure that our interests are protected.”
While the deal is still on the table, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wanted to meet with Wiggins to share his expectations for the future and wants a commitment to improvement from him. The number one overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Wiggins, would be the first member of his draft class to agree to his rookie extension. These players are eligible to sign their extensions through late October.