New York Knicks

Report: Nerlens Noel suing Rich Paul, claims agent is responsible for $58M in lost earnings

Published by
David Akerman

New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel is reportedly suing famed NBA agent Rich Paul. Noel is claiming that Paul told him he was a “$100 million man” in 2017 and that he would be able to get Noel a max deal if he fired his then-agent.

At the time, Noel was being represented by agent Happy Walters and had a four-year, $70 million offer from the Dallas Mavericks on the table.

The 27-year-old listened to Paul, who represents NBA stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as he fired Walters and proceeded to decline the offer from the Mavericks. Paul had also told Noel to accept a qualifying offer worth $4.1 million, something Noel also wound up doing.

Paul reportedly began to lose interest in Noel as a client after the University of Kentucky product suffered a thumb injury during the 2017-18 season.

“During the free agent season which began on July 1, 2018, and after Noel’s one-year contract with Dallas expired, neither Paul nor anyone at Klutch Sports presented any real proposals to Noel in terms of strategies or ideas on how Noel might secure a long-term contract or even a significant contract for the following season,” read the complaint. “Indeed, as the 2018 NBA free agent season began, no real offers or deals were presented to Noel on the first day of free agency.”

The complaint states that multiple teams told Noel they had unsuccessfully tried to get into contact with Paul in order to express their interest in the former first-round pick.

Noel eventually decided to fire Paul as his agent in December of 2020 after learning that Paul “had history of mismanaging and ignoring other clients and costing them significant money.”

This offseason, Noel signed a three-year deal with the Knicks while being represented by George Langberg. Noel claims that during the time he had Paul as his agent, he lost $58 million in potential earnings.

NBA fans will certainly be keeping their eyes on this situation as it continues to unfold.

David Akerman

David is a Miami native and University of Maryland graduate who has experience in writing, editing and video production. He has been following the NBA and NFL for as long as he can remember.

Published by
David Akerman

Recent Posts

Hall of Famer claims Steph Curry would’ve averaged 17 PPG or less in his era: ‘We would’ve hurt him’

An anonymous Hall of Famer allegedly told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that if Golden State…

40 mins ago

Report: NBA GM believed Grizzlies would have had to shop Ja Morant this summer before they fired Taylor Jenkins

Earlier on in the year, long before the Memphis Grizzlies dismissed Taylor Jenkins after he…

1 day ago

Ja Morant opens up about Grizzlies firing Taylor Jenkins: ‘It’s tough for me’

Guard Ja Morant suited up for the first time since the Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor…

2 days ago

Tyrese Haliburton on ‘easy decision’ to name SGA MVP: ‘If you took a player poll, I’m sure he would win’

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a compelling case to win this season's MVP…

3 days ago

Report: ‘Early expectation’ is that Clint Capela will sign elsewhere this summer

Big man Clint Capela is in his fifth season playing for the Atlanta Hawks, and…

5 days ago

Stephen A. says LeBron is in his feelings: ‘Could it be because I don’t believe you’re the G.O.A.T.?’

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith claimed on Wednesday that if his confrontation with Los Angeles Lakers…

6 days ago