Just when you couldn't dislike this guy anymore for ruining NBA shows
A new company co-founded by former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins is offering college athletes upfront cash in exchange for a portion of their name, image and likeness deals, an arrangement some consumer protection experts and financial advisers say could prey on young athletes.
The company, Nilly, offers athletes upfront payments ranging from $25,000 into the hundreds of thousands, said Perkins and his co-founder, Wall Street veteran Chris Ricciardi. In return, Nilly gets the exclusive rights to use or sell the athlete's name, image and likeness for up to seven years, and the company and its investors receive between 10% and 50% of the player's NIL earnings during that time period.
A trio of consumer finance experts who reviewed the Nilly contract said parts of the deal resemble a high-interest loan, and multiple financial advisers who work with college athletes raised concerns about whether the company is offering quick cash that comes with too steep a price.
"To me it feels like you are preying on people who need the capital now and using that to cloud their focus on the future," said Michael Haddix Jr., whose company Scout provides financial education seminars to college athletic departments. "It feels predatory, and it's capitalizing on young people who need money and haven't thought through the long-term implications."
Utah law professor Chris Peterson, who was previously an adviser for the federal government's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said several parts of Nilly's contract reminded him of other financial products that are labeled as investment opportunities but function as loans.
"These are trashy products designed to take advantage of young kids," Peterson said.