NBA Agent Analysis: The Top 8 Agents in Basketball

Brandon Wade/Getty Images

An agent is a person in charge of negotiations and player contracts.

Each NBA player has an agent, who could represent more than one NBA player, even 15 or 20. Other agents are humbler and only represent one player. It's very usual for NBA stars to change agents when an important event is going to happen, like the explosive free agent market of 2012.

The last player who changed his agent is Deron Williams, who is now represented by Jeff Schwartz, but is Schwartz the best agent in NBA?

No. 8: Mark Bartelstein

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Mark Bartelstein is the founder and the actual CEO in Priority Sports & Entertainment. Mark graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and he earned a Master in Business Administration in 1984. Bartelstein has a high knowledge of the intricacies of the NFL salary cap and he also represents more than 70 NFL players, including quarterbacks Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Robert Gallery

NBA players:

• Guards: Mo Williams, Nick Young, Eddie House, Will Bynum, Charlie Bell, James Posey, Brandon Rush, Trey Johnson, Acie Law, Chris Quinn, Earl Watson, Reggie Jackson, Shannon Brown, Jordan Crawford, E'Twaun Moore, Jannero Pargo, DeShawn Stevenson, Dominic McGuire.

• Forwards: Danny Granger, David Lee, Taj Gibson, Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Louis Amundson, Luke Harangody, Jared Dudley, James Johnson, Dahntay Jones, Brian Cook, Othyus Jeffers, Damion James, DeMarre Carrol, Marquis Daniels, Chandler Parsons, Damien Wilkins, Brian Cardinal, Steve Novak, Carl Landry, Jon Leuer, Jeff Adrien, Jason Smith, Kwame Brown.

• Centers: Ronny Turiaf, Brad Miller, Darius Songalia.

Salaries managed: $71,706,376

No. 7: Bill Duffy

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Bill Duffy founded BDA Sports Management in 1998 and he has over 25 years of experience representing professional athletes. As a player, Duffy played at University of Minnesota and Santa Clara University. The Denver Nuggets drafted him as No. 109 in the 1982 draft.

NBA Players:

• Guards: Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Goran Dragic, Anthony Carter, Darren Collison,

• Forwards: Tayshaun Prince, Travis Outlaw, Hakim Warrick, Anthony Randolph, Al Thornton, Austin Daye, Chase Budinger, Earl Clark, Amir Johnson, Luke Babbitt, Chris Singleton, Klay Thompson, Andy Rautins, Jawad Williams, 

• Centers: Andris Biedrins, Joel Przybilla, Hasheem Thabeet, Solomon Alabi, 

Other players in Europe: Rasho Nesterovic, Louis Bullock, Jaka Lakovic, Matjaz Smodis, Travis Hansen, Zarko Cabarkapa, Toby Bailey, Horace Jenkins, Shan Foster, Allan Ray

Salaries managed: $85,789,901

No. 6: Andy Miller

Elsa/Getty Images

Andy Miller works is the president and founder of ASM Sports, and he has represented the interests of athletes for the last 19 years. Andy has negotiated more than $700 million in contracts and endorsements since 1995. 

NBA players: 

• Guards: Chauncey Billups, Andre Miller, Kyle Lowry, Daniel Gibson, Eric Maynor, Sebastian Telfair, James Anderson, Josh Selby

• Forwards: Kevin Garnett, Serge Ibaka, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova, Marreese Speights, JJ Hickson, Alec Burks, Malik Allen, Christian Eyenga, Antoine Wright, Rasual Butler, Gani Lawai, Devin Ebanks, Trevor Booker, Jordan Williams

• Centers: Brendan Haywood, Antonio McDyess, Omer Asik, Aaron Gray, Craig Brackins, Byron Mullens, Patrick O'Bryant

Other players in Europe: Richard Hendrix, Sammy Mejia, Reece Gaines, Milt Palacio, Ramel Bradley, Chris Thomas, Michael Ruffin, Jermareo Davidson

Salaries managed: $92,971,670

No. 5: Leon Rose

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Leon Rose works for Creative Artists Agency since 2007. He graduated from Dickinson School of Law. 

NBA players:

• Guards: Chris Paul, Rodney Stuckey, Ty Lawson, Carlos Arroyo, Richard Hamilton, Eric Bledsoe, Aaron Brooks, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Jonny Flynn

• Forwards: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tristan-Thompson

• Centers: Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas, Eddy Curry, Jason Thompson, DeSagana Diop, Keith Benson

Other players in Europe: Allen Iverson, David Andersen, Malik Hairston, David Hawkins, Marc Jackson, Lynn Greer, Rawle Marshall

Salaries managed: $98,434,847

No. 4: Jeff Schwartz

Warren Little/Getty Images

Jeff Schwartz founded Excel Sports Management in 2002. This agency has just signed Deron Williams, who will be free agent and could unite interests with another player represented by ESM.

NBA players:

• Guards: Deron Williams, Jason Kidd, Kemba Walker, Leandro Barbosa, Jerry Stackhouse, Jerryd Bayless, Jarrett Jack, Kyle Korver, Marco Belinelli,  AJ Price and Armon Johnson 

• Forwards: Paul Pierce, Blake Griffin, Lamar Odom, Kevin Love, Josh Howard, Tyler Hansbrough, Charlie Villanueva

• Centers: Tyson Chandler, Al Jefferson, Emeka Okafor, Michael Beasley, Chris Wilcox, Nikola Pekovic and Cole Aldrich

Other players in Europe: Ricky Davis, Furkan Aldemir, Bangaly Fofana, Leon Radosevic, Tomislav Zubcic, Luksa Andric, Nihad Djedovic, Hilton Armstrong and Ben Hansbrough

Salaries managed: $140,376,567

No. 3: Rob Pelinka

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Rob Pelinka is the CEO of Landmark Sports Agency and is known mainly as Kobe Bryant's agent. He holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, where he is a former basketball player, and a B.B.A Business degree from the same university.

NBA players:

• Guards: Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo, Sasha Vujacic, Wesley Johnson, Corey Maggette and Keyon Dooling

• Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Gerald Wallace, Derrick Williams, Carlos Boozer, James Harden, Channing Frye, Julian Wright and Ed Davis

• Centers: Chris Kaman

Salaries managed: $120,431,630

No. 2: Dan Fegan

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Dan Fegan works for Lagardere Unlimited and contributed a lot in developing the "one-year opt out" and "sign-and-trade" contract provisions

NBA players:

• Guards: Ricky Rubio, Jason Terry, John Wall, Jason Richardson, Kevin Martin, Courtney Lee, Jrue Holiday, Rafer Alston, Von Wafer

• Forwards: Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Drew Gooden, Al Harrington, Jianlian Yi, Reggie Evans, Matt Carroll, Eduardo Nájera

• Centers:  Dwight Howard, Nené Hilario, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith, Kyrylo Fesenko, Melvin Ely

Other players in Europe: Troy Murphy, Juan Dixon, Jarvin Hayes, Nick Calathes, Coby Karl, Lucas Nogueira, Dermarr Johnson

Salaries managed: $132,598,262

No. 1: Arn Tellem

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Arn Tellem works for Wasserman Media Group. He has worked as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Southern California, and it's very usual to see him as lecturer in sports law seminars and conferences. In 2006, Tellem was named the most influential agent in sports by Sport Business Journal and The Sporting News. He also represents 125 MLB players.

NBA players:

• Guards: Russell Westbrook, Joe Johnson, Brandon Roy, JR Smith Tyreke Evans, Rudy Fernandez, Tracy McGrady, JJ Redick, TJ Ford, Brandon Knight, Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry, Quincy Pondexter, Gerald Henderson,Wayne Ellington

• Forwards: LaMarcus Aldridge, Jan Vesely, Antawn Jamison, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Dunleavy, Martell Webster, Mike Miller, Shelden Williams, Jason Kapono, Ryan Gomes, Brian Scalabrine

• Centers: Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Kendrick Perkins, Al Horford, Jermaine O'Neal, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, DeAndre Jordan, Ben Wallace, Tiago Splitter, Dan Gadzuric, Jamaal Magloire, Spencer Hawes, Etan Thomas,Jarron Collins

Others players in Europe: Trajan Langdon, Curtis Borchardt, Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, Pablo Aguilar, Andrew Ogilvy, Davon Jefferson

Salaries managed: $176,173,371