Choosing The Right Agent

• When should you declare for the NBA draft?
• What pick do NBA execs believe you will be?
• Who should you hire to help train you for pre-draft workouts/the pre-draft camp?
• Who will hype up your value while you focus on becoming a better player?

John Givony of DraftExpress.com is correct; when tackling the decision to leave school early and enter one’s name in the NBA draft, no decision is more important than the selection of an agent [Navigating through the NBA Agent Selection Process]. Theoretically, the agent that a player chooses should have the answers to all of the questions posed above, and should be the #1 person to hype up such player.

Givony presents a list of questions for players and parents to ask potential agents to make sure that the one chosen fits the bill. It is quite an important decision…one that can boost your value or greatly reduce your stock.

Here is the abbreviated version of what Givony suggests you ask from each candidate:

• A full list of every current and past player that has been represented by the agent.
• If and why any of those players fired the agent in the past.
• A list of contracts that have been negotiated on behalf of clients.
• Were players marketed above/below their market value?
• Contacts of the non-superstars that the agent has represented.
• Were they also handled with care?
• Level of expertise.
• Do they have a law degree/MBA…are they studying to obtain one?
• Ever had a client with a tough situation (ex: DUI)? How did agent handle it?
• Is the agent registered in his/her state?
• How many other players is the agent recruiting?
• What services are offered besides contract negotiation?
• Why should you choose this agent above competition?
• What connections does the agent have overseas…just in case?
• Does the agent have an overall roadmap?

NBA players are not the only ones that should be looking for answers to these questions. Participants in all sports that are looking for representation may benefit from learning more information their agent choices. If you are an athlete and you are looking for some more possible items to go over with a potential agent, check out this resource provided by the NCAA [QUESTIONS TO ASK PROSPECTIVE AGENTS]. It is also worthwhile for agents to look at the items from Givony and the NCAA in order to be prepared to tackle any questions that a future or current client may have.

Thanks to Joshua Golka at Athlete Agent / Sports Agent Regulation for the initial article tip.

-Darren Heitner