Players pay agents for more than just talking on telephones for them or for helping ensure paperwork is in order. Agents have a responsibility to communicate with a player and inform him of his options... and provide insight and opinion based on their experience in the business. A young player, naturally, cannot have much experience in negotiations or a plan formed through experience in terms of an NBA career. An agent should help fill those gaps through education and advice. The writer's opinion is that the agents might have failed Millsap by looking too short-term. If there are dangers in terms of using agents, one would be that an agent is always looking for too much money for the player (missing out on opportunities) and another would be that they're too short-sighted. Both of these are based on the facts that (a) agents get percentages of salary, and (b) agents can be replaced at any time, so deferring a bigger payday might never pay off for the agents. I'm not sure that I agree with the writer, but at least he is criticizing someone who is in paid to think of Millsap's long-term development. When I read it as a criticism or the Blazers, I thought it was simply nonsensical. Ed O.
I like how he lists Hedo as No. 2 to blame at 22 percent. Poor Utah.. can't say I feel sorry for them.
