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Labor and Agents

NBPA expects February vote on revised agent regulations

The National Basketball Players Association expects to present a package of revised NBA agent regulations for players to vote on in February, NBPA general counsel Gary Kohlman said last week.

The NBPA has been working for several months on potential revisions to the NBPA agent regulations, including whether to allow NBA agents to represent both players and coaches as well as other team management. The NBPA was expected to vote on the new regulations at its annual meeting in Las Vegas last month, but the union has decided to take more time to study the issue.

“We have been working all summer,” Kohlman said. “We have been reaching out to the other unions to see how they do things. We have been reaching out to the agents.”

Kohlman said there has been and will continue to be dialogue between the union, players and agents about the proposed changes, which could include a fee increase as well as different standards to become an NBPA-certified agent.

“This is an ongoing process and it’s still not complete and it won’t be complete until we have considered all the things that the agents have asked us to consider and make a recommendation to the players,” he said.

Among the changes the union is considering:

• Requiring agents to take a test on the NBA collective-bargaining agreement to become certified;

• Having agents with no clients reapply for certification after three years; and,

• Raising the annual fee agents pay the NBPA.

The current fee is $1,500 per agent annually, regardless of the number of players an agent represents. There have been reports in recent weeks that the union was looking at increasing the minimum fee to $5,000 a year for agents with fewer than 10 clients and a maximum fee of $15,000 for agents with 20 or more clients.

“We are continuing to get input from agents all summer long and we have a lot of different formulas that are being looked at but no final decision,” Kohlman said, when asked about the potential fee increase.

The NFL Players Association has formed a committee to look at, among other things, possibly lowering the fee agents can charge players and creating an in-house resource to help players negotiate their own club contracts. Asked if the NBPA was looking to do the same, Kohlman said those were not issues that the union was looking at right now.

Muhammad Wilkerson completed his marketing rep search.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
> RADEGEN SIGNS WILKERSON FOR MARKETING: Radegen Sports Management has signed New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson for exclusive marketing representation.

Alex Radetsky, Radegen founder and president, will represent Wilkerson, who is represented on the field by Sports International Group.

Wilkerson has endorsements with Under Armour, National Dairy Council, Verizon and XTech shoulder pads. Radetsky said he will target additional endorsements with Jets sponsors and in core categories such as automotive, beverage and quick-service restaurant.

Wilkerson signed with Radetsky after a marketing agent search that was conducted by the player, his mother and his NFL agent, Chad Wiestling, president of SIG Football.

> UNIVERSAL SIGNS AMERSON: Universal Sports & Entertainment Management has signed Washington Redskins cornerback David Amerson for representation. A second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, Amerson will be represented by Universal president and NFL agent Kevin Conner.

Amerson was formerly represented by Atlas Sports Agency.

> CAA SPORTS SIGNS GONZALES: CAA Sports has signed St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Marco Gonzales for representation. CAA Baseball agents Ryan Hamill and Nez Balelo will lead the team of agents representing Gonzales, who was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

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