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Excel Basketball: From our Founder & CEO, Jeff Schwartz: "Incredible, the Lakers sell for $12B, yet teams won't spend on older vets because of current CBA rules. Thank you, Union."
Dave McMenamin: Kevin Love's agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, has been in touch with the Philadelphia 76ers' front office since James picked Philadelphia, sources told ESPN. Though the 6-foot-10 Love and James have remained close since teaming up for four seasons with the Cavaliers and even vacationed extensively together this summer, that bond doesn't necessarily mean there will be a roster spot for the former five-time All-Star by training camp.
The Sixers are already at roster capacity after signing another one of James' former teammates, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, to their last spot. And they already have two backup centers behind Joel Embiid in 23-year-old Adem Bona and 24-year-old Ariel Hukporti. Philly would need to make a move to accommodate the 38-year-old Love, who averaged 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 37.3% from 3 off the bench for the Jazz last season. Though Love has interest in pairing with James to pursue a championship, he has maintained a strong relationship with Jazz coach Will Hardy, serving as a veteran voice with that young group, sources said. Utah, however, also has a full roster.
Shams Charania: Free agent center Kristaps Porzingis has agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract extension to return to the Golden State Warriors through 2027-28, with a player option in the second season, agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN.
Shams Charania: Free agent forward Harrison Barnes intends to sign a one-year, $8 million deal to stay with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell ESPN. The Spurs valued Barnes' leadership and production as he enters a third season in San Antonio, finalizing a new deal with agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management on Monday night.
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Shams Charania: Dosunmu’s agents, Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, worked with Timberwolves executives on Monday night to land the long-term commitment. Dosunmu and Anthony Edwards gained a chemistry after his arrival from Chicago in February.
Shams Charania: Cade Cunningham's agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, to ESPN: "Cade has delivered a first-team All-NBA season. If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned over the course of the season. The league should be rewarding excellence, not enforcing rigid cutoffs that ignore context. An exception needs to be made."
Goldman Sachs is nearing a deal to buy a majority stake in the sports talent agency representing Tiger Woods, Caitlin Clark and Derek Jeter, as Wall Street deepens its bets on the booming sports industry. Goldman’s asset management division was in late-stage talks to buy a controlling stake in Excel Sports Management at a near $1bn valuation, said two people briefed on the matter. The agency was formed by sports super agent Jeff Schwartz, who left the talent industry group IMG in 2002 to form a breakaway firm and was later joined by former IMG executives Casey Close and Mark Steinberg.
Shams Charania: BREAKING: Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook has agreed on a deal to sign with the Sacramento Kings, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 2017 league MVP enters his 18th NBA season.
Shams Charania: Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic has agreed to a four-year, $62.4 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, Jeff Schwartz, Sean Kennedy and Jared Mucha of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. Jovic averaged a career-high 10.7 points last season as his Heat role elevates.
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Tom Haberstroh: until I reported it earlier this year, I don’t think anyone saw this: the most closely aligned agency with one NBA team is not Clutch and the Lakers. It’s not the Knicks and CAA. It’s Excel — Jeff Schwartz’s agency — and the Denver Nuggets.”
Harrison had no prior connection to the Mavericks, but league sources say that a strong recommendation on his behalf was conveyed to Cuban by the influential agent Jeff Schwartz, Kidd's longtime representative whose Excel Sports agency would also become Harrison's agency. It didn't hurt Harrison's appeal that A) he was known for his leaguewide connections and relationships thanks to his Nike role and B) San Antonio had previously tried to hire Harrison for its own front office.
Shams Charania: Statement from Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management: "The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical. Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity."
Knecht never worked out for the Lakers, with his agents -- Jeff Schwartz, Mike Lindeman and Anthony Coleman of Excel Sports Management -- scheduling their client to visit only teams selecting much higher. But as draft night unfolded and players made their way onstage to shake commissioner Adam Silver's hand, Knecht -- decked out in an all-black suit with a diamond-encrusted "DK" pendant hanging on a chain around his neck -- was still waiting to hear his name. Around the time Pitt's Bub Carrington -- a player the Lakers had coveted, sources told ESPN -- went No. 14 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Knecht started to look like a real possibility. Inside the Lakers' draft room, Knecht's fall didn't make sense. In preparation for the draft, L.A. had each of its scouts rank their top 100 prospects and aggregated those lists on their board. Knecht was in everyone's top 10. What were they missing? Pelinka called Schwartz and spoke to Knecht's team with Excel. "It was like, 'You're giving me your word?'" Pelinka told ESPN. "I had to do a trust call of, 'There's no red flags, right? You're giving us your word.' And that's when it started to unfold."