Klutch Sports Group expands NIL roster with Jaylin Stewart, Solomon Ball, Nolan Hickman, Jackson Shelstad
Klutch Sports Group – the sports agency founded by LeBron James and his close friend, Rich Paul – continues to prove that it is one of the top forces in NIL representation.
The agency works with a handful of NFL and NBA stars, including Trae Young, Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith. Yet, over the past year, Klutch made a name for itself in the NIL marketplace by signing top young players like Bronny James, Bryce James, Chris Livingston, Juju Watkins and Jerzy Robinson.
Klutch expanded its client list on Tuesday with the announcements that Jaylin Stewart, Solomon Ball, Nolan Hickman and Jackson Shelstad signed NIL representation agreements. All four are considered NBA prospects and were heavily recruited coming out of high school as four-star recruits.
Shelstad, who is a freshman point guard at Oregon, was the nation’s No. 26 overall recruit and No. 7 point guard in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Ball, a point guard, was the No. 47 overall recruit in the 2023 class and is considered one of the key pieces of UConn‘s highly regarded class. Joining him in the class is Stewart, who ranked as the No. 61 overall prospect and No. 12 small forward in the country. UConn’s 2023 class ranked No. 7 in the country.
Hickman is a junior point guard at Gonzaga entering the 2023-2024 season. He played all 36 games for the Zags and finished second on the team in assists. He is projected as a second-round pick by many NBA analysts.
Klutch Sports Group has long client list
Along with the focus on college athletes in the NIL space, Klutch represents a who’s who in the professional ranks.
Professional clients of Klutch Sports Group include NBA stars such as James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, Darius Garland and De’Aaron Fox. The agency also represents a variety of prominent NFL players, including Odell Beckham Jr., Chase Young and DeAndre Hopkins.
Paul, called by some as the most powerful man in basketball, recently told the “Rap Radar” podcast that Klutch has negotiated more than $2 billion in professional contracts. But he also mentioned his excitement for the agency’s success in the NIL world.
An example of Klutch’s NIL power came last October, when the agency brokered a deal between Lids and Brea Beal, Dereck Lively, Livingston, Nick Smith Jr. and Watkins. As part of the deal, each athlete was given the creative freedom to design their own custom embroidery and had the opportunity to work with the Lids design team to bring their personal style to life.
“We’re proud to represent these student-athletes as they pursue NIL opportunities across the board,” Paul said at the time. “For our first collaboration of the sort to be authentic to the sports world and to do it with a brand as iconic as Lids, we couldn’t be prouder. This partnership allows our athletes to showcase and embrace their creativity, while also approaching the business of NIL in a holistic and meaningful way.”
On3 NIL Valuations of Klutch signees
Nolan Hickman has the highest On3 NIL Valuation of the new Klutch signees. He has more than 35,000 social media followers and that combined with his roster value at Gonzaga gives a $103,000 On3 NIL Valuation.
Shelstad, who has a growing social media presence at 22,000 followers, isn’t too far behind Hickman. Shelstad has an On3 NIL Valuation of $100,000, which is No. 70 overall in college basketball.
Ball is starting to see more and more followers flock to his social accounts. He has around 18,600 followers, which helps him land an On3 NIL Valuation of $65,000.
The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.