What will happen if the Raptors trade for an elite talent?

[3inthekeon]

This is true for anyone but a star player. They will get paid anywhere they go, and it's those max level players Toronto is trying to lure. I'm sure w'ed have no problem signing Shawn Marrion or Elton Brand by over paying them. It's the KD's and Love's we want though.

But as scrator pointed out,what you get paid and what ends up in your pocket can be vastly different depending on a states (or provinces) income tax rates.

[golden]

Agent commission % is regulated, I believe, but the main point being that these guys are hired to maximize salary. They are not necessarily into getting players the best overall situation for their careers, team fit, families, etc..., other than the benefits of the highest possible income.

In some ways, I could see that a relatively low commission % could make many of these agents even more motivated to influence their clients to go for max dollars, almost all of the time.

[stooley]

Agent commission % is regulated, I believe, but the main point being that these guys are hired to maximize salary. They are not necessarily into getting players the best overall situation for their careers, team fit, families, etc..., other than the benefits of the highest possible income.

In some ways, I could see that a relatively low commission % could make many of these agents even more motivated to influence their clients to go for max dollars, almost all of the time.

The agent is incentivised to maximize the player's lifetime earnings. So he'd like his player to play in a system that fits his skillset, and where he will succeed long term. On the other hand, personal issues or preferences may not necessarily affect an agent's advice - but if something's really important to a player, he can still push it through.

[OldSkoolCool]

My Bad

Ya I was also thinking of the tax rates killing players.

Still dont like agents though...they are bad apples at negotiating tables, often poorly informing their players

[golden]

The agent is incentivised to maximize the player's lifetime earnings. So he'd like his player to play in a system that fits his skillset, and where he will succeed long term. On the other hand, personal issues or preferences may not necessarily affect an agent's advice - but if something's really important to a player, he can still push it through.

True, but players can and do change agents. So, I'm not sure how many agents actually take the long view, or for that matter, should. Maybe some of the bigger agencies like CAA & IMG - but then, they've got other agendas going on, like telling Lebron and Chris Paul that they need to team up with other superstars to have an easy path to a ring which maximizes their global brand revenue potential, far beyond salary. There's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes with the agents and advisors, that really influence the players decisions where to play, that we just don't hear about. Hopefully, that's where a guy like Leweike, who understands 'the business side' as well as anybody, can put together some attractive sales packages that address all of those potential income streams.

[S.R.]

I'd think paying an agent is like paying an accountant to do your taxes. Yeah, you may save some fees if you do it yourself, but in cases where your income is high enough, having good financial professionals around you will make/save you a lot of money even after deducting their fees.

Besides, a lot of pro athletes do not have good business minds. So many of them go bankrupt after their careers are done. I would not be recommending that many of these guys start taking their contracts and finances into their own hands. They just want to focus on basketball, and most of them are better off finding reliable financial professionals and agents.

[OldSkoolCool]

^Players go bankrupt because they do not control their own finances and let someone else do it...not having an agent will make you learn a little about money

[S.R.]

One more thought on Houston - before the Harden trade, I remember reading a couple articles criticizing Morey because they seemed to be lacking direction. As mentioned, they were a barely above .500 "treadmill" team at the time, and he just kept accumulating similar mid-tier talent. Traditional logic would have been to tank at that point.

I do think the league is shifting and we'll see more of the Houston approach. Because of the cap, those team-friendly contracts are so much more valuable now. Even if your team is middling in the W/L department, but you're in a solid financial situation, you're may actually be better off than teams with a couple of all-stars but a crappy cap situation. It's really hard to get out of a bad cap situation without having to sell low on current talent.

Chicago is also showing how competitive a well balanced team can be without superstars (Noah's defensive presence aside). It'll be interesting to see how they move forward re: Rose.

[S.R.]

^Players go bankrupt because they do not control their own finances and let someone else do it...not having an agent will make you learn a little about money

I'm sure that's true sometimes, but many of the stories - Curt Schilling - involve ridiculous investments and start-ups that blow their entire wad within a couple of years. Of course some of them also get burned by their "professional" help, for sure.

[OldSkoolCool]

^thats what I mean

They never learn how to protect their money because they always have someone else taking care of it

[Uncle_Si]

I have wondered about this...agents take like 30% in some cases (for doing nothing).

Why do pro athletes have agents who take percentage? NBA GM's will offer what they believe is fair value, and as a player you do know your worth. You don't need an agent to negotiate for you IMO.

For example if your agent is making 30% and he says he can get you a 10 mil deal, that means you are making 7. Why not just fire him and say to the GM you'll take 8.5? You make more...your team has more cap space. If you don't want to get screwed legally, hire a lawyer for a flat hourly commission for a thousandth of the cost...

I hate agents...leaches and dredges of society (not unlike used car salesman)

I guess they do take care of some of the business side of things....but you can do that as a player as well, it is not that hard and would massively increase communication between player and front office in a good way. just my 2 cents...

If agents weren't worth 30% or whatever it is that they charge they wouldn't be paid it. To say agents are slimy and do nothing is a pretty ignorant comment.

[OldSkoolCool]

If agents weren't worth 30% or whatever it is that they charge they wouldn't be paid it. To say agents are slimy and do nothing is a pretty ignorant comment.

Corrected already

I still think they are completely useless and slimy. More often than not agents over value the players they represent in order to get more money for themselves and do not actually represent what is in the best interest of the player. That's pretty slimy imo

[Uncle_Si]

Corrected already

I still think they are completely useless and slimy. More often than not agents over value the players they represent in order to get more money for themselves and do not actually represent what is in the best interest of the player. That's pretty slimy imo

So by getting MORE money for the players than they're worth, thereby making more money for themselves makes them slimy? I thought that getting better than market value for your player would be considered a good thing. If you ask the player I'm sure he or she would agree. In fact an agent that can get more than market value for the players they represent might even make them good agents, and I bet once they had that kind of respect they could probably charge more for their services. I bet some players would even see it as a worthwhile investment. For those that don't they can go elsewhere.

[Scraptor]

Chicago is also showing how competitive a well balanced team can be without superstars (Noah's defensive presence aside). It'll be interesting to see how they move forward re: Rose.

This exact sentiment surfaced last season, and when the playoffs hit, so did reality. Same goes for last year's Nuggets... same probably goes for us this year. The regular season is a mirage for star-less teams, imo. '04 Pistons are the single exception of the last 30+ years.

Houston's ability to play moneyball was mostly brilliant GMing, but location did have something to do with it. Easier to assemble capfriendly contracts when you're in the heat and there's no taxes. But I do agree the landscape is changing capwise... I just wonder how quickly the efficiencies will be stamped out by similar strategies. Look at how cleverly Atlanta and Philly and Utah have cleared the decks.

We can't just be super-savvy and opportunistic.... we have to be savvier and more opportunistic than our competitors.

Another thing to think about is how bifurcated the league has become. There are competing teams and there are tanking teams and there are very few teams trapped in the middle. Those teams in the middle are where the opportunities lie, with a Detroit or with a Minnesota, where a star may be frustrated and fed up with the situation. Unfortunately the opportunities always seem scarcer than the number of teams chasing them.

[Uncle_Si]

Proof were building something special. De Yolo preferred coming to Toronto over staying with the SPURS!!!!

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/Headli...ticleId=293039

Yes I'm being facetious. But he did request a trade from the Spurs.