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Leon Rose Signs Three 2012 NBA Prospects Including Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

I figured that Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was good for at least one of Kentucky’s talented underclassmen headed for the NBA.  And I have heard from multiple sources that Rose has signed Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who just finished an outstanding freshman season.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a sure lottery pick along with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, who is said to be a lock at being drafted #1 overall.  I currently do not have agent information for Davis nor other likely Kentucky draft picks including Marquis Teague, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller.  However, yesterday I did hear that Terrence Jones will likely be signing with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.  I would not be surprised if each player decides to pick separate representation.  On the day of the 2012 NCAA Tournament Championship Game, I assumed that Kentucky’s players would choose different agents, including Rose and Tellem.

Rose has also signed Senior guard Kim English from Missouri and Senior guard Zack Rosen from the University of Pennsylvania.  English averaged 14.5 points-per-game during the season and 18.3 points-per-game at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.  He could be a late draft pick or possibly make it on to an NBA team as an undrafted free agent.  Rosen averaged 18.2 points-per-game against easier competition than English, but he did earn Ivy League Player of the Year honors and happened to graduate from the Wharton School of Business.

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.