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Rich Paul, the NBA mega-agent who represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Trae Young and others, is being sued by a former client, according to a court record obtained by Sports Agent Blog.
The former client in question is New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel, who hired Paul as an agent in 2017 and fired him in 2020. In the intervening years, Noel claims that Paul’s broken promises and negligence professional cost him up to $ 58 million in lost contract money.
In the lawsuit, Noel claims Paul breached his fiduciary duty, both advising him to refuse a long-term contract extension and essentially ignoring teams’ attempts to contact him about his client.
Why Nerlens Noel is suing Rich Paul
According to the lawsuit, Noel and Paul’s relationship started when they met at the birthday party of Ben Simmons, a client of Paul, in July 2017. At the time, Noel was playing for the Dallas Mavericks and had averaged 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game over three NBA seasons.
Noel, who was represented by Agent Happy Walters since he was drafted sixth overall in 2013, says he received an extension offer from the Mavericks in the amount of four years and $ 70 million. Paul reportedly introduced Noel as a client by saying the player was “a $ 100 million man” and could receive maximum bid if he hired Paul.
Noel says he hired Paul and then turned down the Mavericks’ offer, signing a qualifying offer of $ 4.1 million instead to become a free agent the following summer. The move would prove to be costly as Noel struggled through the 2017-18 season, playing just 30 games with a thumb injury and averaging points, rebounds, blocks and minutes. on average.
At this point, Noel claims that Paul “began to lose interest” in him as a customer. He hit an unrestricted agency in 2018 and claims neither Paul nor anyone from his agency Klutch Sports came up with any offers or strategies.
Instead of signing a maximum contract, Noel ended up signing a minimum league contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder for two years and $ 3.75 million. Even that contract wouldn’t have come from Paul, as Noel says he was personally recruited by Thunder stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
After a solid season as a bench player for the Thunder, Noel withdrew from his contract in 2019 and hit free agency again … where he says he received no offers. Another league minimum contract with the Thunder would follow, but Noel says he later learned from Brett Brown, his former coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, that the Sixers attempted to contact Paul about signing Noel only. so that none of their calls are answered or diverted. Noel says he learned that other teams had met the same reception.
Noel says he considered leaving Paul as an agent in 2020, but was convinced to stay by Klutch’s agent Lucas Newton, who Noel says told him the Thunder were planning to offer a contract. of three years worth $ 7-10 million per year. No such offer came, and Noel says he heard from other teams again, this time the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, not having received any calls from Paul.
Noel would eventually sign with the New York Knicks for a year and $ 5 million, but only after Knicks president Leon Rose contacted his friend and advisor to set up a reunion. Noel’s most productive season in years followed, averaging 5.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game for the resurgent Knicks.
Noel says he ditched Paul in December 2020 after learning that other less famous Klutch clients such as Norris Cole and Shabazz Muhammed saw their careers mismanaged by Paul. In his first free agency without Paul involved, Noel signed a three-year, $ 32 million contract with the Knicks.
Add up that qualifying bid and the league’s minimum bids, and Noel says you’re losing $ 58 million when you consider he could have played on a $ 70 million contract.
Rich Paul is one of the most powerful agents in the NBA
Paul’s origin story and his current status in the NBA require little introduction for NBA fans.
Paul met James shortly after the latter was selected first in the 2003 NBA Draft. At the time, Paul was selling retro jerseys in his car in Cleveland, picking them up from a supplier in Atlanta. . James was impressed enough with Paul that he inducted him into his inner circle, which led to Paul being hired at CAA, James’ agency at the time.
Paul will open his own agency, Klutch, in 2012 and take James as his first client. Over the years, Klutch has grown into one of the most powerful agencies in the league and has even entered the realm of the NFL. Paul’s agency is responsible for over a billion dollars in contracts, and the man himself is by far the most talked about agent in his field, most recently via the revelation that he is dating pop. star Adele.
Few agents can compete with the star power that Paul represents. If we are to believe Noel’s claims, his job isn’t as impressive when his client isn’t a star.
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