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On To The Next One: DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins has left agent John Greig and signed with Dan Fegan.
DeMarcus Cousins has left agent John Greig and signed with Dan Fegan.
DeMarcus Cousins has left agent John Greig and signed with Dan Fegan.

While most of the world was taking a break from work leading up to Christmas, Sacramento Kings big man, DeMarcus Cousins, was busy making a change in representation.  After learning of a suspension for cursing out his head coach, Cousins decided to depart from his agent, John Greig, who has represented the former Kentucky Wildcat since he decided to leave for the NBA.  Cousins quickly found a new agent – Dan Fegan – who is also the agent of record for Dwight Howard, Stephen Jackson, Kevin Martin, Ricky Rubio and many other prominent basketball players.

While Cousins has had his problems since entering the NBA, Fegan has recently dealt with his fair share of issues as well.  The man who represents former #1 overall pick, John Wall, split with mega agency Lagardère Unlimited earlier this year and has not yet latched on with another firm (although there is no reason to believe that Fegan does not wish to remain independent).  That said, many in the agent community continue to believe that Fegan will eventually team up with fellow agent Happy Walters at the relatively new Relativity Sports.

Fegan has also had to rebound from a couple of clients abruptly leaving him.  Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries terminated his relationship with Fegan and signed with Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.  Later, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jason Richardson left Fegan and said, “I think a lot of guys feel like there were just left in the dark with a lot of things: him changing agencies, or whatever he did with the change.  Just kind of neglect.”

Yet Fegan is still one of the most powerful agents in the NBA (Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports agree).  He is known for having the proclivity to get unhappy clients traded from their teams, even if it means that he will take the blame and end up looking like the “bad guy.”

And what about Cousins’ former agent, John Greig?  With the loss of Cousins, Greig goes from representing one of, if not the, most talented young big men in the country to having no current NBA players as clients.  He does; however, represent some promising athletes overseas.  In 2010, when Cousins first chose Greig to be his agent, I wrote the following:

So how do you think Greig signed DeMarcus Cousins?  I bet that there will be a lot of big agents talking to Cousins in an attempt to pry him away in the future.  Let’s see if Cousins stays loyal to his original selection – I hope he does.

In response to asking Greig for something inspiring for you all, Greig said, “Maybe inspire your readers by telling that perhaps sometimes good guys do finish first !!!”

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.