15 July 2023 , 11:04
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An NBA star is suing agent Rich Paul after he claimed he cost him £44million ($58m).
Paul, who started his Klutch Sports Group in 2012, represents 29 players, five of whom are All-Stars and two have max contracts. Paul is a close friend of LeBron James and the 41-year-old has worked with the likes of Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, and Ben Simmons.
Nerlens Noel, 29, the sixth pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, began working with the boyfriend of top music star Adele following a conversation with him in 2017, according to the basketball player’s lawsuit. According to The Sun, this took place at a birthday party for Simmons six years ago, when Paul told the power forward he could be worth a "$100 million man."
The former Philadelphia 76ers player, Simmons’ ex-teammate, was then convinced to sign for Paul’s agency and was offered a four-year, $70 million contract by the Dallas Mavericks while Noel was a free agent. However, Noel turned down the offer due to advice he received from Paul, which was to turn it down and sign a one-year, $4.1 million qualifying offer instead.
Paul’s reasoning for this was it allowed the 2015 All-Rookie first-team member to become an unrestricted free agent the following summer, where his chances of securing a larger deal would be enhanced. He even told Noel he could be eligible for a "max" deal the following offseason, but disaster struck as he missed half of the 2017-18 season regular season due to a torn ligament in his hand.
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Noel played just 30 games that season and averaged a career-low in points, rebounds, and blocks, which saw his value take a massive hit. As a result his subsequent deals pale in comparison to the initial Mavericks offer. He left Mavericks after that season and signed for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018 on a two-year, $3.7 million minimum deal.
Once that deal came to an end, Noel was traded to the New York Knicks in 2020 and spent two years in the Big Apple, the second of which was interrupted due to injury. Noel went on to spend just seven months with the Detriot Pistons after arriving in July 2022 but reached a contract buyout this past February. The basketball player last represented the Brooklyn Nets in March after signing a 10-year contract.
NBA player Nerlens Noel has claimed Paul has 'cost him' $58million (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)Paul did, however, receive good news this week in the form of longtime friend of James confirming his plans to continue playing in the NBA. The basketball legend appeared at the 2023 ESPY Awards where he received an honour for the Best Record-Breaking Performance after becoming the league’s all-time leading points scorer last season.
During his acceptance speech, James stated he will not be bringing an end to his iconic career just yet. “I don’t care how many more points I score, or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” he said.
“The real question for me is: Can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”