Ben Simmons’ season with the LSU Tigers has come to an abrupt end. The dynamic Australian star finishes his freshman year in the bayou with a 19-14 record and without a selection to the NCAA tournament, the program announced they will not be going to any postseason tournaments.
That most likely means it is the end of Ben Simmons in the NCAA. After being declared academically ineligible for the John Wooden national player of the year award and no more games to play, it is time for the future number one overall pick to star planning for his future.
The future for Simmons could include business meetings with LeBron James, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Tristan Thompson. The potential top pick in the 2016 draft is expected to sign with Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports group.
Following from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo! Sports.
LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, a possible No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, plans to sign with the LeBron James-funded Klutch Sports agency for his pro representation, league sources told The Vertical.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports will serve as Simmons’ agent.
Simmons’ older sister, Emily Bush, has been a marketing/branding employee of Klutch since 2014. She is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Her hiring came shortly after James and Paul started recruiting Simmons as a potential future client.
Within the basketball industry, it has been understood that Klutch has been the only real pro representation that Simmons has considered. Simmons, a native of Australia, has been the subject of a serious courtship by James, Paul and Klutch Sports since attending the LeBron James Skills Academy in 2014.
The arrangement for Klutch to represent Simmons has been in place for over a year, and agency papers to formalize the partnership are expected to be signed soon, sources said. Simmons will train in either Cleveland or Los Angeles in the predraft process, league sources said.
