It turns out college basketball’s big scandal does have a small connection to the Miami Heat.
According to an ESPN report Friday morning, former Heat center Willie Reed has filed a $13.5 million arbitration claim with prominent NBA agent Andy Miller, alleging he was defrauded.
Reed, who signed a one-year league minimum deal $1.5 million with the Clippers this summer, filed the claim in part because Christian Dawkins, one of the 10 people arrested on federal corruption charges Tuesday, advised Reed to turn down a preliminary three-year, $15 million deal by the Heat early in the free-agency juncture with the promise of a bigger pay day elsewhere.
The Miami Heat denied Friday there was ever such an offer to Reed. Miami drafted rookie Bam Adebayo before free agency began and went in another direction with its frontcourt eventually signing Kelly Olynyk to a four-year, $50 million deal.
Miller represents more than 40 current NBA players including New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Myles Turner. He does not represent any players on the Heat’s roster.
According to ESPN, Dawkins was reportedly terminated by Miller and his company, ASM, in early May following a National Basketball Players Association probe into the unauthorized use of a player’s personal credit card. Dawkins was arrested for his role in the FBI probe, in which he was connected to two separate fraud and bribery schemes and was indicted on four counts of wire fraud.
Reed reportedly terminated his contract with Miller on July 11. Sources say Dawkins represented Reed and others well after he was believed to have been fired from the company over two months ago for racking up $42,000 in Uber charges on an unnamed NBA player’s credit card.
Miller reportedly has until the first week of October to respond to Reed’s claim.
Comments