BDA Sports has signed a large class of NBA draft prospects, including Duke guard RJ Barrett and Texas forward/center Jaxson Hayes, both projected lottery picks. Website nbadraft.net last week had Barrett ranked No. 3 and Hayes ranked No. 9 on its mock draft.
Agents Bill Duffy and Marlon Harrison are representing Hayes. Duffy, who is also the founder and CEO of BDA, is representing Barrett.
“He’s a young man who has the opportunity to be one of the faces of the NBA, for a multitude of reasons,” Duffy said of Barrett. “Because of his talent, his work ethic, his credibility as a winner.”
Barrett, who is 6-foot-7, played shooting guard at Duke, but Duffy notes that he is versatile. “He can handle the ball, he can play 1, 2, 3,” Duffy said. “He played a lot of point guard when [Duke point guard] Tre Jones was hurt.”
All of the major shoe companies are interested in Barrett, Duffy said, adding that a deal could possibly be struck before the draft, which will be held June 20 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Barrett is the son of Rowan Barrett, a former professional basketball player who played internationally and for the Canadian national team.
Hayes is the son of former NFL tight end Jonathan Hayes, who left his job as tight ends coach of the Cincinnati Bengals to become head coach and general manager of the XFL team in St. Louis. “His mom was a high school All-American who averaged 15 points a game,” Duffy noted of Hayes’ mother.
BDA also signed San Diego State forward Jalen McDaniels, UCLA guard Jaylen Hands, Tulsa forward/guard DaQuan Jeffries, Northwestern forward Vic Law, Florida State guard Terance Mann, West Virginia forward Sagaba Konate, Oregon State guard Stephen Thompson Jr., Pittsburgh forward/guard Jared Wilson-Frame and UNC Greensboro guard Francis Alonso.
Agents Nima Namakian, Rade Filipovich, Erik Kabe, Justin Haynes, Quique Villalobos and Duffy represent the players.
“The theme for us was quality players, quality families,” Duffy said. “All of these gentlemen come from stellar backgrounds. The parents are tremendous, supportive, and it’s a very positive experience.”
■ KLUTCH SIGNS DRAFT CLASS: Klutch Sports Group has signed several players for representation in the NBA draft, including Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland, a projected lottery pick. Website nbadraft.net had Garland ranked No. 8 on its mock draft last week.
Klutch also signed Iowa State guard/forward Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Darius Bazley. Bazley was a McDonald’s All-American out of Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio, who chose to forego college.
Klutch founder Rich Paul, who represents Lakers forward LeBron James on the court, is representing the players.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
