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Clayton Kershaw Continuing Relationship With Agent J.D. Smart At Excel Sports

Oct 28, 2012; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is awarded the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award. Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2012; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is awarded the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award. Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has long been represented by agent J.D. Smart.  Smart was an agent at Hendricks Sports Management until recently leaving to join Excel Sports Management, which has a baseball division run by industry veteran Casey Close.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has reported that Kershaw will remain a Smart client and will be co-represented by Close at Excel Sports.

In February, Kershaw signed a 2 year, $19 million deal, which allowed the Dodgers to avoid a couple of years wherein the pitcher would have been eligible for arbitration.  Winning the National League Cy Young award in 2011 contributed mightily to Kershaw’s hefty 2 year deal.  Coming in 2nd place for the N.L. Cy Young this year will only serve to expand his perceived value as he approaches the age that many scouts view to be a typical player’s prime.

Smart left Hendricks Sports at the same time as a couple other baseball agents (Jim Murray and Matt Laird) left the firm.  He is also a named defendant, along with Hendricks Sports, in a lawsuit filed by pitcher Roman Colon for allegedly failing to inform him of an offer made by a Korean baseball team.  Colon has asked for a reward of at least $1 million.

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.