LeBron James' Agent Sued For Advising Negligence

Rich Paul, a celebrity sports agent who rose to prominence as the manager for LeBron James, is being sued by former lottery pick and client Nerlens Noel over contract consultation that reportedly cost Noel tens of millions of dollars. Rich Paul is the founder of Klutch Sports Group, which now manages some of the biggest names in the NBA.

Noel cites negligence after Paul advised him to forego a hefty extension with the Dallas Mavericks, worth nearly $70 million, in order to pursue an agreement worth over nine figures. As part of his pursuit for a heavier purse, Noel left his former agent to sign with Paul. Nerlens and Rich Paul went their separate ways in December 2020.

As Darren Heitner reported on the news Tuesday: "Nerlens Noel has sued NBA agent Rich Paul, claiming Paul is responsible for $58 million in lost earnings."

In his lawsuit against Rich Paul, Noel claims that he was at the bottom of Paul's list of high-level clientele — which includes LeBron, Ben Simmons and Anthony Davis — which meant he wasn't a priority. He claims that Paul didn't bother to return calls for offers on Noel.

Noel, 27, was drafted with the No. 6 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2013 NBA draft. He left the team via trade to the Dallas Mavericks in 2017, but things didn't pay off for Noel there either. He played in only 52 contests and started just 18 of them due to injury.

Nerlens now plays for the New York Knicks after a two-year stint with Oklahoma City. Noel signed with New York on a one-year deal in 2020, then signed an extension for 3 years, $32 million over the offseason.

The center averaged 5.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and a career high in blocks with 2.2 per game.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela