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“I really feel that there is a lack of accountability for individuals who are so highly successful at their respective, primary fields of business,” Duffy said. “I would be curious to see if they have any business they are involved with where they can ensure profitability, ensure cost certainty that’s not market oriented, so they have this one business vehicle that they want to completely control, where I don’t know if they are able to do that in any other industry that they are involved with. Everything is reactive to the market place. I find that very interesting.” Washington Post

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Bill Duffy 

Longtime NBA agent Bill Duffy said he has been telling players for 2½ years to save their money and prepare for a lockout. Duffy believes the union and players are better equipped to handle a lengthy lockout after their experience in 1998-99, when the season was shortened to 50 games. Still, Duffy also expressed concern about the hard-line stance of some owners. “There is a new set of owners,” Duffy said. “They are more zealous in their convictions. “The league is flourishing. It would be absurd and foolish for a long lockout.” Yahoo! Sports

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Owners, Bill Duffy 

Does Greg Oden want to be in Portland? Bill Duffy: The short answer to that is 'yes.' I think that Greg, from what I can gather, feels like there is unfinished business there. Absolutely loves the community, loves the chemistry of the team, he knows that there's a commitment there to excel. I think on a personal level, I think he has the same aspirations. I think there's a duplicate desire here to win and to be competitive and the poor kid has been on an unfulfilled mission at this point so he definitely wants to correct things. And he's working very, very hard to put himself in that position. Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Greg Oden, Bill Duffy 

Ben Golliver: President of BDA Sports Bill Duffy says Blazers C Greg Oden has been through "counseling, therapy, interventions" to deal w/ injuries. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Greg Oden, Bill Duffy 

Has he seen a sports psychologist? Bill Duffy: He's been very receptive. We have done that. Counseling, therapy, interventions, just to let him understand all the pressures, not to put too much pressure on himself. Everybody needs that. Not just an athlete but someone to talk to and share your thoughts and your concerns and just get reassurance. If you do things the right way, stay patient, keep your eye on the prize, you'll be fine. The beauty about him, as you all know up in Portland, he's highly intelligent, so he's very receptive to that. And he's an educated person, he went to college for one year but he's also gone back to summer school so he has educational and intellectual aspirations that endear him to that so that he's open and willing to get professional guidance and support at every level. That's not just in that respect, in terms of his business people, financial planners, he's very engaged and very meticulous in learning about those nuances. Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Injuries, Greg Oden, Bill Duffy 

In what might have been a last-ditch effort to get something, anything, out of Andris Biedrins and the $27 million owed him over the next three seasons, the Warriors met with their center Thursday afternoon. In a two-hour chat with Biedrins and his agent, Bill Duffy, Warriors general manager Larry Riley outlined a complete physical and mental training program for Biedrins to follow this summer. "It's time to take actions that will get him moving in the right direction," Riley said. "Basically, we're going to rebuild his confidence." San Francisco Chronicle

Golden State Warriors, Andris Biedrins, Larry Riley, Bill Duffy 

As usual, Biedrins will do the majority of his offseason workouts in Latvia, but, this time, the Warriors won't send a representative. Instead, BDA Sports Management, the group that represents Biedrins and has a great track record with nutrition and training, will handle the overseas portion of the rehabilitation plan. "We did not get what we wanted from the center position this year," Riley said. "Andris is back to having to prove himself again. He's got so many things go on in his mind right now that it's a challenge to get him back. "If he returns to some reasonable form of what he was, I still think we need more size and more depth." San Francisco Chronicle

Golden State Warriors, Andris Biedrins, Larry Riley, Bill Duffy 

University of Southern California junior forward Nikola Vucevic will forgo his senior season to enter the 2011 NBA draft and has signed with agent Rade Filipovich of Bill Duffy's BDA Sports Management, he announced Friday. The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Vucevic, 20, averaged 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in 34 games for the Trojans in 2010-2011, earning All-Pac-10 First Team honors and leading USC to the first round of the NCAA tournament. ESPN.com

Draft, Bill Duffy, Nikola Vucevic 

Marc J. Spears: Wizards and forward Al Thornton agree to a "fair buyout" agent Bill Duffy told Y! Sports. Thornton has "desirable destination," Duffy said. Twitter

Washington Wizards, Al Thornton, Bill Duffy 

Jason Quick: Przybilla said he spoke with agent Bill Duffy last night and Duffy "didn't seem too concerned" that he would be moved. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Joel Przybilla, Bill Duffy 

The Blazers are looking for a point guard for the future and the Nets are apparently looking to shed salary. Both Miller and Przybilla are on expiring contracts, although a team can pick up an option on Miller for next season at $7.8 million. Przybilla, 31, has indicated he might consider a buyout or retirement if he is traded. On Monday evening, his agent, Bill Duffy, said “that will be a very quick and intense conversation” with the team acquiring Przybilla. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Joel Przybilla, Bill Duffy 

Suns guard Steve Nash said he did not speak to his agent, Bill Duffy, to lead to Duffy's comments in an espn.com article that "We would expect that they (the Suns) may entertain moving him during the summer" and that he and Nash are "ready" for that. "Sometimes, what's said is in the context of something else," Nash said. "I haven't spoken to him about it. I expect to be here (in Phoenix). I'm happy here. I expect to be here even next year. "I don't even think about it. I'm just happy to try to make the playoffs." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Bill Duffy 

Yet, there's at least one guy closely connected to what's happening in the desert who believes -- firm as team president Lon Babby was in stating that Suns management isn't at all excited by the prospect of blowing things up and trying to rebuild with youth -- the Suns do intend to explore how much they can get for Nash in the offseason. Whenever the NBA has another offseason after labor negotiations. "Steve is a Phoenix Sun and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say he's the face of that franchise," Bill Duffy, Nash's longtime agent, told ESPN.com this week. "But logic dictates that it would be prudent for the Suns to start looking at their long-term future in the summer, so we would expect that they may entertain moving him during the summer. We are ready for that and we anticipate a very respectful process if they decide to look at starting over with a younger core." ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Lon Babby, Bill Duffy 

How do you influence what happens in February at the trade deadline for your NBA clients? Bill Duffy: I’d say that we’re behind about 75 percent of the activity that happens to our clients. The other 25 percent is something that we have no control over because the teams are going to do what they’re going to do. But a lot of the time we’ll encourage the move because we feel like the player needs to be in a better fit and sometimes we have a very active role. SLAM

Trade, Agents, Bill Duffy 

How does that work exactly? You communicate with the GM, the GM says, “If you can find something for your client, great,” and then you work with other GMs? Bill Duffy: If we get permission. We do that regularly. But we know everyone in the league so well that when we talk to teams there’s a trust factor in terms of confidentiality and in terms of what is in the best interests of both them and us. It has to be a win-win. SLAM

Trade, Agents, Bill Duffy 

Are you able to derail a trade if your client doesn’t want to move to a given city? Bill Duffy: Yeah, we’ve done that. If a player is in the last year of his contract you can dissuade the other team from taking him by saying that he’s not going to resign with that club, so acquiring him is not a long-term opportunity. We’ve had some interactions like that. If he has multiple years on his contract, there are fewer options. You can dissuade the [acquiring] team and tell them that you don’t think it’s a good fit and he’s going to be a pain in the butt or whatever. SLAM

Trade, Agents, Bill Duffy 

You have some clients – including Steve Nash and Brandon Jennings – who have been very successfully marketed. Can you talk a little about your agency’s role in that? Bill Duffy: We have a gentleman, Jon Schulman, who is dedicated to new media. We’re on the forefront of that; no question he’s very innovative. We have felt for a long time that the world is changing, the consumer dynamic is changing and the fan interaction is changing, and we wanted to be on the forefront of that. A lot of agents don’t think about that, they only think about the contracts, but we’re always thinking about the brand development of the player. It’s really just a segue for them to get into things outside of their sport. We try to put those ideas and concepts in front of them early so that as they cultivate their development there are options beyond basketball. SLAM

Agents, Bill Duffy 

How does your faith inform what you do? Bill Duffy: For the most part, our society is pretty irreligious. The things I’m exposed to are not completely consistent with my moral codes. But I’m also a pragmatist. We live in a world where there are always challenges to stay on the straight and narrow. In business it’s that way, in relationships it’s that way, in a marriage it’s that way. I just don’t involve myself in that aspect. There are a lot of people that I’m around — not necessarily who I work with — that I don’t necessarily approve of how they live their lives. But I can’t exclude interacting with them. I can only be responsible for how I live my life, how I conduct my marriage, how I conduct my moral code. I think I have a good influence and I think it reinforces to people what I stand for and I think that’s appealing to them. SLAM

Agents, Bill Duffy 

Nash’s agent, Bill Duffy, also said Suns owner Robert Sarver told him the team doesn’t have any intention of dealing its All-Star point guard. Nash has one year left on his contract after this season at a reasonable $11.7 million. “He’s a treasure to the fans there,” Duffy said. “He’s revered there. There is enough of a relationship between Steve Nash and the Suns that if something were to transpire we’d be sure Steve would be involved in the process. Sarver has called me to tell me that nothing is going on with Steve. “He’s everything. He’s the identity of the organization.” Yahoo! Sports

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Robert Sarver, Bill Duffy