HoopsHype.com Rumors

Jeff Goodman: Trey Burke's father will represent him as NBA agent, but I was told Rich Paul went hard after him -- with LeBron reaching out to Burke. Twitter

Draft, Agents, Rich Paul, Trey Burke 

Simmons breaks down why he thinks James will eventually join forces with music mogul Jay-Z, who recently divested his interest in the Brooklyn Nets in order to partner with Creative Artists Agency as a sports agent. This is the same agency that James left back in September to sign with childhood friend and former CAA agent Rich Paul as part of a new agency called Klutch Sports. To be clear, Simmons offers a disclaimer that his idea is his own and not based on the sort of insider info that Simmons so often cites. USA Today Sports

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Jay-Z, Agents, Rich Paul 

The man at the center of the proposed reunion is William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, the CAA coach's agent whose ties to James have been well-chronicled and, as the premise goes, has such an overwhelming and eternal influence on the best basketball player on the planet that he'll convince him to come back. But there is no reason to anticipate this happening. The time has officially come to stop romanticizing the relationship with James and Wesley, and not only because of the obvious fact that the soon-to-be four-time MVP was willing to leave him behind and work with Paul in a partnership that isn't ending anytime soon. The 'Worldwide Wes' factor as it related to James had a Wizard-of-Oz feel to it all along, but the reality in the here and now is that James has long since moved on from that overhyped chapter and, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, the two hardly, if ever, speak these days.The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of their relationship. USA Today Sports

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Jay-Z, Agents, Rich Paul 

It is a fact James' agent, Rich Paul, has eagerly created anticipation for James' possible return in 2014, but eventually his client will have to spare himself the pummeling of raising Northeast Ohio's hopes, only to dash them under closer inspection of the move. Yahoo! Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Coaching, Mike Brown, Agents, Rich Paul 

Chris Broussard: Texas' Myck Kabongo signs w/Rich Paul's Klutch Sports, sources say. Kabongo - 14p, 5a, 5r - seen as 1R pick, range is late lotto to early 2R Twitter

Draft, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul 

Every year, Businessweek produces the Power 100, a compilation that ranks the world’s best-performing athletes based on statistics, the popularity and viewing audience of their sports, endorsement earnings, and their reach on social media. The rankings are curated by CSE and Horrow Sports Ventures, which use E-Poll Market Research and Nielsen/E-Poll N-Score data to determine the list. Last year, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees topped the charts. This year’s Power 100, which was announced this morning, is led by LeBron James of the NBA’s Miami Heat. We decided to take the top 25 names on the 2013 Power 100 list and provide them here, along with their agents, as a unique feature offered only by Sports Agent Blog. The athletes and their rankings, sport and representatives, are located below. Sports Agent Blog

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

James' agent and childhood friend, Rich Paul, born and raised and still living in Cleveland, has been privately telling people for two years of his intrigue with bringing the prodigal son back as the conquering hero in Cleveland. James will ultimately make the call to return – just like he made it to leave – rest assured that the most important voices in his ear will be partial to Cleveland again. Yahoo! Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Free Agency, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

Klutch Sports – Paul's new agency – calls Cleveland home. And its client, Tristan Thompson, would assuredly benefit with an eventual rich contract extension should Paul deliver James back to the Cavaliers. "Riley has never given them the run of the place in Miami," one high-level associate of James' inner-circle said, "and they could all be back in business together in Cleveland. For Rich and [business manager] Maverick [Carter], they all see the benefits of getting the credit for bringing LeBron home again." Yahoo! Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Free Agency, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

James has been thinking about a return to Cleveland for most of his time with the Heat, including the night of his cable TV special. He had second-guessed himself that night, but once Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert released that vitriolic letter, James understood: There was no turning back. Yahoo! Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Free Agency, LeBron James, Dan Gilbert, Agents, Rich Paul 

Paul, a graduate of Benedictine High School, has begun a working relationship with Cleveland agent Mark Termini, who will oversee contract negotiations for Paul’s clients. Termini founded Mark Termini Associates Inc. in 1986 and has negotiated more than $400 million in pro sports salaries. He has represented 15 first-round picks in the NBA and served on the Agent Advisory Committee to the National Basketball Players Association for the 1993, 1997 and 2003 NBA collective bargaining negotiations. Morning Journal

Agents, Mark Termini, Rich Paul 

Termini will continue to run his agency and represent Nuggets center Kosta Koufos and several players overseas. His existing clients will not become part of Klutch Sports. The two companies will remain separate entities. Morning Journal

Agents, Mark Termini, Rich Paul 

Klutch Sports, the sports agency founded in September by Rich Paul that includes Miami Heat star LeBron James as a client, has enlisted respected agent Mark Termini to "oversee contract negotiations," two people familiar with arrangement told USA TODAY Sports. The people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until an official announcement is made. ESPN first reported the news. USA Today Sports

Agents, Mark Termini, Rich Paul 

USA TODAY Sports has learned that Termini, who represents Denver Nuggets center Kosta Koufos and a few others, will continue to run his agency, Mark Termini Associates. His existing clients will not become part of Klutch Sports, and he can continue to build his client list if he chooses, according to one person. Termini adds impeccable credentials to Paul's upstart firm and is considered a valuable addition. USA Today Sports

Agents, Mark Termini, Rich Paul 

Liz Mullen: SBD: Klutch Sports Group, NBA player rep firm founded by LeBron James’ longtime friend Rich Paul, has signed Wizards F Kevin Séraphin #NBA Twitter @SBJLizMullen

Washington Wizards, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

Here's the common refrain: LeBron James made one of his boys, a woefully unqualified member of his entourage, his agent. "He didn't graduate from college, so how'd he get certified?" says one competitor. "I just hope we don't have another Master P situation on our hands," says another, referring to the rapper's unsuccessful foray into the agent biz. "How's he going to walk into a Fortune 500 sports-brand company and negotiate a deal?" asks one more. "You can't give a dentist a scalpel and say, Go do heart surgery." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

James is not the only one who has faith in Paul. Former lottery pick Tristan Thompson of the Cavs, Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe and Spurs guard Cory Joseph have also joined Klutch. In reality, though, the threat is not actually Paul but this new breed of agent. Not Klutch but a series of Klutches. If Paul is successful, what's to stop another superstar's ambitious best friend from learning the corporate game while still maintaining the authenticity and street cred it takes to earn the trust and friendship of players? Make no mistake about it: Many middlemen, recruiters or runners are watching Paul closely, wondering whether he might blaze a trail they can soon follow. "The middlemen put in all the work and get crumbs for it," says one NBA executive. "Rich could end up being a model for young guys in the future who are close to a star player. They could follow what he's doing and start changing the name of the game." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

In the summer of 2011, Paul, James, Dwyane Wade and others were in the Bahamas, just weeks after the Heat had been upset by Dallas in the Finals. The dinner table in their rented mansion was full of steak, seafood, fruit and more, but the mood was sour. James and Wade were beating themselves up, trying to explain what happened. Paul stepped in. "Man, it wasn't meant for y'all to win.'' "Man, what are you talking about?'' said an irked James. "The reason you didn't win it is that you weren't being you," Paul said. "You were playing with a lot of anger, being someone you're not. If God had let you win, you would've felt like you should be that person -- angry, thinking everybody's against you, not having fun on the court. That's not you." "Man, whatever," said James. "I'm not trying to hear this." "It's bigger than what you did on the floor, Bron. It started from day one, when you decided to be someone else. God took you from your highest point to your lowest point so you could be humble, so you could look in the mirror and be a better player. Experience is the best teacher." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Agents, Rich Paul 

James is widely expected to opt out of his contract after next season, if for no other reason than to sign another max contract. And yes, believe it or not, he will give Cleveland a close look. He has a relationship with Irving and Thompson. His new agent, Rich Paul, is a local guy who has long been a close friend. Paul also represents Thompson. A number of pieces are aligning, but the biggest draw is missing. Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Rich Paul 

The Cavs realistically must be a playoff team for James to consider them. He will turn 30 during the 2014-15 season. It’s inconceivable he would return to Cleveland for a rebuilding project. That means the Cavs will at least have to make the playoffs next season for them to be viable contenders in a free-agent market that will surely include the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. That puts the Cavs into a difficult position — again. They absolutely cannot, and will not, make panic decisions on this roster to placate James’ potential desires. They’ve been down that road, and we all know how that turned out. Yet stay on this path as one of the worst teams in the league, and they will most likely disqualify themselves from the bidding. Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Rich Paul 

Ken Berger: Kabongo's relationship with Paul, who also represents LeBron James, is at the center of the NCAA probe over alleged improper benefits. Twitter @KBergCBS

NCAA, Agents, Myck Kabongo, Rich Paul