NBA News: Knicks Center Sues Agent For Mismanagement, Losing Big Money Opportunities

Nerlens Noel was someone most felt had a promising future. Aware of that, renowned player agent Rich Paul unsurprisingly got into the picture.

Paul is no stranger to handling high-profile players. At the top of the list is LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, perhaps the biggest name in his client list.

Noel had that mantra in 2017. Unfortunately, wrong decisions cost the 27-year-old big money, reportedly up to $58 million. The 6th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft fired Paul in 2020 but it appears their rift is far from over.

In a lawsuit, Noel claims that Paul allegedly breached his fiduciary duty, when he advised the 6-foot-11 player to turn down a long-term contract extension and ignore attempts by teams to contact him.

Noel and Paul met each other in July 2017 at a birthday party of Ben Simmons. He was playing for the Dallas Mavericks at that time and averaged decent numbers of 10 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks.

Given that he has been doing well with the Mavs, Noel was reportedly offered a contract extension worth $70 million for four years. Paul told Noel that he was a $100 million man and that he could get a better offer if the agent handled him.

Noel ended up hiring Paul and turning down the Mavs offer. He ended up settling for a $4.1 million deal to become a free agent and never got a chance at big contract money offers from there.

Injuries got in the way and the stock of Noel was declining. Paul was allegedly losing interest at this point and no one from the agency’s end presented offers or strategies.

He suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018 and settled for a bench role. He opted out in 2019 with hopes of getting a good deal.

Noel would learn from former Sixers coach Brett Brown that the 76ers were trying to contact him through Paul but the calls were never returned.

The New Hampshire native ended up joining the New York Knicks in 2020 and it was only here where his talent was recognized and financially rewarded. Noel signed a three-year deal worth $32 million with the Knicks.

Although it appears he has finally found the right team to play for, not to mention the right compensation package, Noel is hoping to recover lost money because of Rich Paul. It remains to be seen if he will be successful although it does leave a dark mark on the player agent's credibility.