NBA Agent Reveals How He Hustled $2,050,000,000 Franchise to Pay LeBron James $20M More 6 Years After “The Decision”

The 2010 NBA offseason had a moment that changed the free agency scenario in the league forever. The league’s reigning MVP made an announcement that sent shockwaves across the NBA world. ESPN decided to televise a whole segment named “The Decision” to follow the move made my LeBron James during free agency. This “decision” has since paved the way for a complete paradigm shift in free agency.

James’ infamous words, “In this fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat” broke hearts in Cleveland. The Cleveland Cavaliers fans knew no end to their dismay after this announcement. The Miami Heat fans on the other hand, rejoiced the arrival of The King in the South Beach. However, 4 years after this move, James decided to make a heroic comeback to the team that drafted him. This move interestingly had some unusual complications. A veteran sports agent recently discussed these details regarding James’ contract.

Veteran sports agent on LeBron James contract

LeBron James made a heroic comeback to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. After winning two back-to-back championships with the Miami Heat, James brought the glory to his home state of Ohio. He made the historic 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016 to lead the Cavaliers to their first ever NBA championship. If this success was not enough for him, his contract in 2014 brought in more for the the 4-time MVP. Veteran sports agent, Mark Termini recently discussed this very aspect of the contract.

In a recent appearance on NBA on ESPN, Termini said, “Judging the marketplace, whether it’s for LeBron, Tristan in the middle….it was just math. I used my calculator and talked to people that know the cap’s going up so why would I want to tie up my player….There’s a risk factor, there’s a little educated risk and leverage….on balance, this is a risk worth taking, this is gonna pay off this way.”

He then explained how he managed to hustle out a more significant deal for James with the Cavaliers. “I was able to construct something that got LeBron $20M for signing his name three times instead of once. I don’t feel too bad about that,” said Termini.

Read More: A Look Back at LeBron James’ ‘The Decision’: Was it a Success or Failure?

Termini found an unimaginable loophole that paid James a whopping $20M more than expected. However, he would not have been able to make this move without the help of long-time friend of James and Klutch Sports CEO, Rich Paul.

Rich Paul had a role to play in this unbelievable deal

LeBron James has been a client of Klutch Sports for several years now. The 19-time All-Star has partnered with his long-time friend, Rich Paul to amass unprecedented wealth as an NBA superstar. His 2014 contract with the Cavaliers proved to be nothing different.

LeBron James signed a two-year $42.1M contract with the Cavaliers in 2014. Despite having the interest to join the franchise long-term, James signed a deal that would put him back in the free agency market within two years. So in 2016, James put himself in a position to make history.

The King signed a whopping $100M contract extension in 2016, taking advantage of the “one plus one” strategy amid the rising NBA salary cap. By choosing not to sign a four-year max deal with the franchise in 2014, Paul and Termini gave James the flexibility to earn $20M more than what the max deal would have brought in.

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Termini showed his brilliance in 2016 but Paul has continued to be a pioneer agent in the league. His 2023 offseason emerged as one of the most successful periods for a sports agent in NBA history. From Fred VanVleet to Anthony Davis, Paul’s clients have struck historic deals with their franchises this offseason. This has further cemented his position as a pioneer agent in the league.