Mark Termini and his company, Mark Termini Associates, has sued Klutch Sports Group and its founder, Rich Paul, Tuesday in an Ohio federal district for breach of contract. Termini, a longtime agent, worked alongside Paul from 2012 until 2020. Termini claims he is owed more than $4.9 million for unpaid fees and related harms.
Termini says Paul was recruited to provide negotiation services to Klutch Sports. Klutch agreed to pay Termini 25 percent of Klutch and Paul's gross fee on NBA contracts and marketing deals. Termini estimates he negotiated “in excess of $1.4 billion in contracts” for Klutch. Some of the clients Termini negotiated on behalf of include LeBron James, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith.
Termini adds that not only did he negotiate contract terms but he “decided the structure and amount of all contract proposals, when to reject an offer, and when to impose a holdout.” Termini contends that Klutch began paying him less than what they owed after Paul had established himself in the industry.