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Like most of you, I'm very excited for the NBA draft. I'm really looking forward to seeing who the raptors draft with the number 9 pick. There's lots of different theories on who we should pick and who's the best fit for the future.
I recently read an ESPN article on the Mark Cuban-Deandre Jordan fiasco. It is widely believed that Deandre Jordan's agent (Dan Fegan) encouraged him to sign with Dallas due to Fegan's friendship with Mark Cuban. Some think that Cuban drafted one of Fegan's clients in the 2nd round last year (Satnam Singh) as a favour before free agency kicked off. It made me wonder if Masai Ujiri has a similar relationship with other NBA agents or firms.
Yea, I know. I should go get my tin foil hat. But it's been 3 weeks since the raps were eliminated and another week until the draft so please hear me out.
Last year, the Raptors drafted Delon Wright and Norman Powell. Both of them are represented by The Wasserman Group. Norman Powell was then given more guaranteed money than most 2nd round picks. A week after the draft, when free agency started, the raptors were surprisingly able to secure a meeting with Wasserman client Lamarcus Aldridge. This was after Demarre Carroll signed and I always wondered how Masai would have made it work if Aldridge decided to go with the Raps. JV and Ross weren't under big contracts then. Would they have traded Derozan or Lowry? Or maybe, just maybe---The Wasserman group returned the favour and leaked that Aldridge was impressed with Toronto's pitch as a thank you to Masai for a strong working relationship.
Let's go back to Masai's days in Denver. Masai drafted Kenneth Faried, a Wasserman client. He traded for Jan Vesley, a Wasserman client. In one of Masai's most criticized moves, he awarded Javale McGee with a $44million contract. McGee is represented by BJ Armstrong of the Wasserman Group. After McGee's contract Ujiri probably felt like Armstrong owed him one the next time around. Well, BJ Armstrong represents Bismack Biyombo, who signed for what turned out to be the best bargain contract of the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Obviously the NBA is a relationship business and strong relationships between GM's and agents are very important. Most of the above could be a coincidence, and Ujiri traded away Vasquez who was a Wasserman client too. But could the above give us a clue as to who the Raptors will draft this year? Of the top projected picks this year the only Wasserman clients I could find were Domantas Sabonis and Denzel Valentine. BJ Armstrong represents Valentine. If you hear one of those names called next week maybe it's because Masai is continuing to build a strong relationship with the Wasserman Group before free agency 2016. Who knows, maybe Wasserman returns the favour again and Biyombo accepts another discount.
I recently read an ESPN article on the Mark Cuban-Deandre Jordan fiasco. It is widely believed that Deandre Jordan's agent (Dan Fegan) encouraged him to sign with Dallas due to Fegan's friendship with Mark Cuban. Some think that Cuban drafted one of Fegan's clients in the 2nd round last year (Satnam Singh) as a favour before free agency kicked off. It made me wonder if Masai Ujiri has a similar relationship with other NBA agents or firms.
Yea, I know. I should go get my tin foil hat. But it's been 3 weeks since the raps were eliminated and another week until the draft so please hear me out.
Last year, the Raptors drafted Delon Wright and Norman Powell. Both of them are represented by The Wasserman Group. Norman Powell was then given more guaranteed money than most 2nd round picks. A week after the draft, when free agency started, the raptors were surprisingly able to secure a meeting with Wasserman client Lamarcus Aldridge. This was after Demarre Carroll signed and I always wondered how Masai would have made it work if Aldridge decided to go with the Raps. JV and Ross weren't under big contracts then. Would they have traded Derozan or Lowry? Or maybe, just maybe---The Wasserman group returned the favour and leaked that Aldridge was impressed with Toronto's pitch as a thank you to Masai for a strong working relationship.
Let's go back to Masai's days in Denver. Masai drafted Kenneth Faried, a Wasserman client. He traded for Jan Vesley, a Wasserman client. In one of Masai's most criticized moves, he awarded Javale McGee with a $44million contract. McGee is represented by BJ Armstrong of the Wasserman Group. After McGee's contract Ujiri probably felt like Armstrong owed him one the next time around. Well, BJ Armstrong represents Bismack Biyombo, who signed for what turned out to be the best bargain contract of the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Obviously the NBA is a relationship business and strong relationships between GM's and agents are very important. Most of the above could be a coincidence, and Ujiri traded away Vasquez who was a Wasserman client too. But could the above give us a clue as to who the Raptors will draft this year? Of the top projected picks this year the only Wasserman clients I could find were Domantas Sabonis and Denzel Valentine. BJ Armstrong represents Valentine. If you hear one of those names called next week maybe it's because Masai is continuing to build a strong relationship with the Wasserman Group before free agency 2016. Who knows, maybe Wasserman returns the favour again and Biyombo accepts another discount.
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