Player agents

[mjs34]

Are these guys misrepresenting their clients when they limit the workouts based on projected rankings, or preferred destinations?

Suppose you are Stauskas, and your agent projects you at #9, and so he refuses workouts with teams from 12 on up. What happens to these kids when they don't get picked at their projected spot, and then other teams pass on them for guys they have worked out. All of sudden a player drops another 4 spots, gives up a million dollars over his four years and gets a career ending injury. Is the agent going to write them a check, I doubt it.

Doogie Howser said the wolves were having trouble getting Gordon in for a workout. Milwaukee is going to Cali to watch Wiggins workout. I am surprised by how much control the teams are allowing to these agents. I would be tempted to tell these guys to take a walk and blackball all of their clients. When you are picking 6 or 8 or 10, is there really that big of a difference in the talent level. Some of these guys could fall significantly depending on need of other teams.

Maybe the NBA should have a rule that says players have to workout for interested teams wrt their draft order. So Wiggins can't workout for Philly until he has worked out for Milwaukee. It would be a way to dodge the issue of getting injured working out, and make sure all teams got an equal chance to assess the players.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

They just need to get rid of the individual workouts all together. The league should host the workouts and every team is invited that is interested. Then allow individual interviews. The NFL has pro days, not individual team workouts. Players and agents should not be allowed to control the information for teams investing millions in them. The teams should be able to get whatever info they need to make their decisions. They are the ones that have to pay the stars and the busts the same based on the info they can get which right now isn't as much compared to other leagues.

[mjs34]

It would certainly help to even things out. It has always bothered me when a guy who hasn't played one minute of NBA ball, steps up and starts trying to manipulate the system. I am surprised that one of these owners with money burning a hole in their pocket, doesn't send a message.

[foye2smith [enjin:6593248]]

That's one reason I don't knock Kahn too hard for Curry (still wrong, but I see his reasoning). He's less than a month into a job everyone is saying he's in over his head at and Curry cancels/refused to work out for Minnesota individually.

There were questions on where he'd fit on an NBA team, he had played PG for all of 1 season at Davidson. Yeah, Davidson the NBA player factory that churned out other NBA players like Dick Snyder, Fred Hetzel, and Mike Maloy. I even remember ESPN running a segment with Bob Knight having to talk up Curry's ability to make the transition. Pair that with Flynn's million dollar smile, solid combine numbers, and holding his own in workouts it's not as retarded as it gets looked back on as.

I just roll my eyes at these know it alls 5 years after. Just last night canishoopus' twitter posted some snide comment, "Kawhi Leonard: 29 points on 13 shots. 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks. But it's ok, Derrick Williams is a small forward" cool. I don't even know what point they were trying to make, but if it was "aw we could have had him" it's stupid. GMs make safe picks to not get fired reach for Leonard/Thompson at 2 and they bomb you're fired even faster. Now if you want to make the argument to trade down, whatever, but if I recall correctly the Wolves tried trading that pick for a star with no luck even failing to complete a lesser deal for Evan Turner (talk about a lose-lose).

[WildWolf2813]

They just need to get rid of the individual workouts all together. The league should host the workouts and every team is invited that is interested. Then allow individual interviews. The NFL has pro days, not individual team workouts. Players and agents should not be allowed to control the information for teams investing millions in them. The teams should be able to get whatever info they need to make their decisions. They are the ones that have to pay the stars and the busts the same based on the info they can get which right now isn't as much compared to other leagues.

The issue is that the league DOES host a workout: the combine, and players simply skip it at the top.

An agent's there to do his job. Get his client to where he prefers them to be. We only look it as a negative because teams do what they can to avoid us. Aaron Gordon working out for us privately is a waste of time for all sides, so why get mad at him? That's like being mad we can't work out Embiid.

The NFL has pro days and individual workouts. Teams are allowed to talk to 30 guys max (and good luck trying a pro day overseas). Try being Doug McDermott trying to have a pro day when he's the only prospective pro there.

[mjs34]

They just need to get rid of the individual workouts all together. The league should host the workouts and every team is invited that is interested. Then allow individual interviews. The NFL has pro days, not individual team workouts. Players and agents should not be allowed to control the information for teams investing millions in them. The teams should be able to get whatever info they need to make their decisions. They are the ones that have to pay the stars and the busts the same based on the info they can get which right now isn't as much compared to other leagues.

The issue is that the league DOES host a workout: the combine, and players simply skip it at the top.

An agent's there to do his job. Get his client to where he prefers them to be. We only look it as a negative because teams do what they can to avoid us. Aaron Gordon working out for us privately is a waste of time for all sides, so why get mad at him? That's like being mad we can't work out Embiid.

The NFL has pro days and individual workouts. Teams are allowed to talk to 30 guys max (and good luck trying a pro day overseas). Try being Doug McDermott trying to have a pro day when he's the only prospective pro there.

The problem is they skipped the combine, or only participated in part of it. The league has a system set up to help the lesser teams and these agents think it is their job to try and get around it. It's called cheating. I could care less where the agent thinks they should be. They are entering the NBA and should be held accountable.

How is working out for us a waste of time? He isn't guaranteed a draft slot. Players drop all the time. Trades get done on draft night.

[WildWolf2813]

They just need to get rid of the individual workouts all together. The league should host the workouts and every team is invited that is interested. Then allow individual interviews. The NFL has pro days, not individual team workouts. Players and agents should not be allowed to control the information for teams investing millions in them. The teams should be able to get whatever info they need to make their decisions. They are the ones that have to pay the stars and the busts the same based on the info they can get which right now isn't as much compared to other leagues.

The issue is that the league DOES host a workout: the combine, and players simply skip it at the top.

An agent's there to do his job. Get his client to where he prefers them to be. We only look it as a negative because teams do what they can to avoid us. Aaron Gordon working out for us privately is a waste of time for all sides, so why get mad at him? That's like being mad we can't work out Embiid.

The NFL has pro days and individual workouts. Teams are allowed to talk to 30 guys max (and good luck trying a pro day overseas). Try being Doug McDermott trying to have a pro day when he's the only prospective pro there.

The problem is they skipped the combine, or only participated in part of it. The league has a system set up to help the lesser teams and these agents think it is their job to try and get around it. It's called cheating. I could care less where the agent thinks they should be. They are entering the NBA and should be held accountable.

How is working out for us a waste of time? He isn't guaranteed a draft slot. Players drop all the time. Trades get done on draft night.

It IS their job to get around it. If they can maneuver a route for their player, godspeed. That's like saying if we call Andrew Wiggins for a workout he should oblige. Agents know where they might be slotted or who's interested in them. If the agent feels it's worth it, then they'll go. If not, they won't. That's not cheating. Like I said, we're only discouraged because nobody chooses to come here. If he falls, then it's on Flip & co. to have whatever info they have on him to make an educated choice on whether to pick him. If Gordon's agent chooses not to assist Flip with more info or a workout, so be it. If Flip chooses to pick him anyway, so be it. If they were to have mandatary workouts, you'll be seeing plenty of fake injuries to avoid workouts altogether.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

The NFL has a combine and a pro day, so your point doesn't work. I believe the league should put on the pro day since there aren't enough prospects to have it on a team by team basis. At the end of the day, NFL teams get to see who they want to see barring injuries. The top guys aren't skipping their pro days to hide their deficiencies. The pro days are setup to make them look good and I would be fine with that type of environment for the basketball guys as long as they worked out for teams to see. You shouldn't be able to get drafted high because you are hiding something that would deter teams. Embiid shouldn't be able to go through the draft process without confirmation of the situation with his back. If it's a problem and he goes top 3 and the team who takes him didn't get a medical eval because his agent wouldn't let him, then there is a big problem with the system. That's the equivalent of lying on an application for a very high paying job, except in the NBA you can't get fired without getting paid (aka getting a golden parachute while doing nothing to earn it in the first place).

[Monster]

IMO the top guys don't do anything that meaningful at these workouts to keep you from selecting them. There are some exceptions like if its a euro guy or a guy that is returning from injury but most of the time I don't think it matters that much.

Now is it disgusting that players and/or agents can decide or not decide where they will and work out? Yes it is there isn't much of any way around that. I think the system maybe needs to change some but like JVG said about the NBA draft combine "They won't be playing basketball so who cares?" Well he said something like that except it was more amusing.

[JasonIsDaMan [enjin:7981157]]

I'm not King Tea-Party or anything, but I believe a "rule" is going too far. Ultimately, these guys have to accept the responsibility for their own careers, and who's to say the agent is making the decision and not the player?

I agree with anyone who says that these individual workouts are overrated. That guy from China the Bucks drafted a few years back based on the moves he made on a chair?!?!!? I don't think he finished his rookie contract.