Jaylen Brown Elects Not to Hire Agent Heading into 2016 NBA Draft

California Golden Bears forward Jaylen Brown will reportedly enter the 2016 NBA draft on June 23 without hiring an agent. Instead, the versatile swingman has opted to negotiate his first professional contract with the help of the NBA Players Association, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks. 

However, Brown will reportedly hire an agent to negotiate his first shoe deal. According to Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes, Brown has settled on Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports to lead the charge in the footwear department. 

Although Brown is taking an unusual step, the projected top-10 pick won't enter the salary negotiation process uninformed. According to Wojnarowski and Marks, Brown has been consulting with New York Liberty general manager and former New York Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas, whom he considers "a close adviser and mentor." 

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News noted Thursday that Brown has been working out at the Knicks' training facility with Thomas in advance of the June 23 draft. 

"He wants to get to know the business, have a better understanding of the industry, before he enters into an agreement with [an agent]," a source told Wojnarowski and Marks. 

Although The Vertical noted most agents don't earn commission on the first contracts "high-level players" sign, Brown is avoiding the possibility of losing six figures by entering into consultation with the NBPA. 

Wojnarowski and Marks noted Brown could save close to $300,000 if he's selected at No. 3 overall and $150,000 if he's selected as late as No. 8 overall. 

Pick	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3 Option	Year 4 Option (% increase over 3rd year)	Year 5 Option (% increase over 4th year)
3	$3,952,500	$4,130,400	$4,308,300	26.4%	31.2%
4	$3,563,600	$3,724,000	$3,884,400	26.5%	31.9%
5	$3,227,100	$3,372,300	$3,517,500	26.7%	32.6%
6	$2,931,000	$3,062,900	$3,194,800	26.8%	33.4%
7	$2,675,700	$2,796,100	$2,916,500	27.0%	34.1%
8	$2,451,200	$2,561,500	$2,671,800	27.2%	34.8%

In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Brown headed to the Denver Nuggets at No. 7 overall, while DraftExpress has him listed as the fourth player off the board to the Phoenix Suns. 

Since rookie-scale contracts are set in stone based on draft slot, Brown likely won't have a hard time negotiating his first NBA deal. The parameters have already been set, and wiggle room is limited.

The true test will come when and if Brown's eventual employer displays interest in signing him as a fourth-year extension candidate. At that point, he'll be due a big raise, and having an established agent in his corner could do wonders for his earning power long-term.