Jaylen Brown going without agent for rookie contract

Former Cal forward Jaylen Brown is taking the road less traveled and will begin his NBA career without an agent to help him with his rookie contract.

The Vertical reports the news about Brown, who is expected to be drafted somewhere in the top 10.

Due to the slotting system for rookies, the usefulness of an agent for a player’s first contract is lessened. For this reason some agents do not take commissions from a player’s rookie contract, though some do. Brown could be saving himself somewhere in the low six-figure range by not paying a commission to an agent on his first deal.

Though Brown may go without an agent on his first deal, he will have one to negotiate his endorsement deals.

The Vertical says Brown has been receiving advice from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. He is expected to receive help from the NBAPA when it comes to negotiating his first deal, which is a service the association offers to its members.

Brown averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with Cal. He was the star of the Golden Bears, who were seeded fourth in the NCAA Tournament, before bowing out in the first round against Hawaii. He shot just 10-for-51 (19.6 percent) over his final five games, committing 18 turnovers in that span. Nevertheless, many see him as a potential top-five pick.