The Importance of Having a Player Agent

You see that guy standing in the front row above? That's Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. Paul is probably the most-recognized player agent in the National Basketball Association  (NBA). And while he was criticized for what many believed was a mishandling of Anthony Davis' trade demand during the latter parts of the 2018-2019 season when Davis was still with the New Orleans Pelicans, he remains as one of the sought-after agents in basketball as his clients include LeBron James, John Wall, and yes, even Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Sports agents, in general, can usually earn as much as four to ten percent of the playing contract of the player he is representing on top of an additional 10 to 20% of the player's endorsement contract. The said values can vary depending on the sports. In the NBA, player agents such as Rich Paul can not earn more than four percent of the player's playing contract. 

Now, this begs the question: do athletes really need to hire an agent to represent them? 

The answer to that question is simple: It's important for players in any sports to hire a  good player agent because it will help them protect their interests.

In simple terms, a sports agent is like a business manager for athletes and his primary job is to represent clients in contract negotiation.  Player agents also manage the player's finances as well as handle the public relations of their clients which include resolving internal disputes with the player and his team. Sports agents are even doing damage control whenever their clients are acting negatively which could impact the client's public image. They also handle marketing and promotional activities for their clients. 

And yes, it's of utmost importance that even the brightest stars in the sports have an agent by their side, especially during contract negotiations. For one, having the best player agent you could hire on the market, can give you somebody who could understand everything that is written in the contract and explain it to you in a matter that you would easily understand. But more than being able to understand every detail of the contract during negotiation, one of the primary importance of hiring a sports agent is that these agents can help you make sure that you get the type of contract and fair market value that you deserve based on your athletic abilities. 

But more than anything else, hiring a sports agent is important for any athlete in any sports because these athletes will have someone who can properly give them advice whether it's about their contract, their career path or generally, their life as an athlete. 

Photo is from NY Daily News