Agents & Lawyers
CHAPTER 6
They’re here to help you, and are some of the most important resources you have.
Especially if you’re a rookie player, it can be so frustrating to find the information you need and understand how to apply it to your contract negotiations — and then make sure your contract actually reflects what you’ve negotiated for. Do yourself a favor and consult with these people!
How can an agent help me?
You’re basically hiring someone who does the hard work for you! And in many cases, you’ll negotiate more than their cut.
But you still have to be careful. Most agents default to trying to get the highest salary possible — whether they think that’s what you want, or they’re simply looking out for themselves. It’s up to you to decide how to leverage their expertise for your situation.
To align yourself with an agent who can best represent you, you’ll want to ask yourself questions like:
How much do they know about the team I want to join and the players that are competing for this spot?
How important would I be to them? Do they have more valuable clients to prioritize?
What specific services do they provide, and do they specialize in something I want?
How can a lawyer help me?
Don’t let all your hard work in clarifying and determining conditions go to waste. Lawyers can push back on team-favored language, check unique clauses you’ve negotiated, and make sure there’s nothing you won’t see coming later in the season.