Ben Simmons to sign with LeBron James' agency
Australian basketball sensation Ben Simmons' college career may have ended today with the LSU Tigers deciding not to play in post-season, but the projected number one draft pick seems to have already moved onto his professional aspirations.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Simmons will hire LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, to represent him moving forward into the future.
LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, a possible No. 1 overall pick, plans to sign with the LeBron James-funded Klutch Sports agency for his pro representation, league sources told The Vertical. Rich Paul of Klutch Sports will serve as Simmons' agent.
Simmons already has family ties with the agency, as Wojnarowski also points out that his sister, Emily Bush, has worked as a marketing/branding employee at Klutch since 2014. Family ties are important to Simmons, evident by his decision to attend LSU, where his godfather, David Patrick, is an associate head coach on the coaching staff. Embed from Getty Images
James and Simmons have had a close relationship, which has been publicly documented. Back in December, Simmons told Marc Spears that, "I just get a lot of advice from him [James]. He's like a big brother to me."
Wojnarowksi went on to reveal some further details of the agreement between Simmons and Klutch, explaining that the relationship has been in place for a while.
The arrangement for Klutch to represent Simmons has been in place for over a year, and agency papers to formalize the partnership are expected to be signed soon, sources said.
Klutch Sports currently has ties to many NBA players, including James, Tristan Thompson, Corey Joseph, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, just to name a few. Most notable, the agency has been able to secure close to max-level contracts for Thompson and Bledsoe after lengthy holdouts.
Ben Simmons
Simmons, reportedly, is expected to secure a $100 million dollar shoe deal. The company that Simmons will sign with is still unclear but according to industry insiders, Nike and Under Armour have already committed $100 million to the Aussie, via Fox Sports Australia.
With Klutch having a reputation for getting the best contracts for their clients and Simmons already having a monstrous shoe deal in line, this pairing could become one of the most powerful in the basketball and marketing world for years to come.
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