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The Grizzlies Cave In To Pressure. Will It Affect Other Teams?

No more ragging on the Memphis Grizzlies…for now.  Last week the Grizz finally came to terms with first-round selections Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez.  No training camp missed.  No harm, no foul, right?  That’s true to an extent.  The players shouldn’t suffer.  They ended up with the historically agreed upon rookie contract of 120% of the league’s rookie salary scale, after the Grizz did not want to give up more than 100% of the rookie salary scale and make the rookies “earn” the additional 20% through performance bonuses.  Their agents won’t suffer either.  Henry’s agent, Arn Tellem, said the following:

“I assured the Grizzlies that I wouldn’t yield to pressure. I also informed them that to take any pressure off Xavier, I would pay his salary myself if a deal couldn’t be reached.”

That is quite a bold statement for an agent to make, and speaks to the type of person Arn Tellem is.  At the same time, he is blessed to be surrounded by people and a company (Wasserman Media Group) with deep pockets, so when he makes that kind of claim, he can back it up.  Not many of his competitors could or would do the same.  Henry noticed that and showed his appreciation.

“My agency was behind me, and they were fighting for me.  My agent took a step forward and said if they weren’t willing to cooperate then we were prepared to go as far as we needed on principle. … But I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a while. I’m anxious to play.”

Tellem won’t have to spend any of that money, though.  So who might suffer the most out of all of this?  How about a team that had zero involvement in the entire matter?  The San Antonio Spurs have bucked the trend of throwing 120% to rookies for a long time.  The Spurs load up their rookie contracts with performance bonuses, which if reached, don’t always pay the players the 120% slot ceiling.  Will the battle won by Arn Tellem change things for the Spurs?  They have been extremely quiet over the years regarding their rookie contracts.  Will they now be under the radar.  Will an agent step up and challenge them next year on a rookie deal?

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.