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Larry Sanders' agent sued for allegedly poaching Bucks center

A former agent for Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is suing Sanders' current agency for allegedly poaching the Bucks' center. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

A former agent for Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is suing Sanders' current agency for allegedly poaching the Bucks' center. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

The agency currently representing Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders is being sued by Sanders' former agent for allegedly poaching the young big man.

According to the New York Post, Andy Miller and his New Jersey-based ASM Sports agency filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court claiming that Beverly Hills-based Relativity Sports broke collective bargaining agreement rules that bar agents from using money or other resources to lure clients.

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The Post reports that the lawsuit filed by Miller alleges that the California sports agency used "private planes, celebrity encounters and hedonistic parties," to persuade Sanders to switch to Relativity Sports for representation. Miller had been in the midst of negotiating a contract for Sanders to return to Milwaukee this offseason that would've paid Sanders $41 million over four years. The 24-year-old Sanders ended up "suddenly" switching agencies mid-negotiations, and Relativity Sports struck a deal for Sanders with the Bucks that paid him $44 million over four years.

Sanders was selected 15th overall by the Bucks in the 2010 NBA Draft and was represented by Relativity Sports during his rookie year, but the two sides parted ways after a forgettable first season in the NBA. Miller's agency stepped in and had remained with him throughout the past few years, and as Miller's lawsuit now claims, had helped transform the Bucks center's off-court approach so as to help him become an up-and-coming talent on the court:

"Miller helped re-shape Sanders’ attitude toward his physical conditioning. Miller made sure that Sanders’ attitude in other areas improved, most notably decreasing the amount of time that Sanders spent partying.”

On Monday, a representative for Relativity Sports offered a comment in response to the situation:

“Larry Sanders returned to the Relativity Sports family and we believe our work on his behalf speaks for itself."

Sanders, who had a breakout season in 2012-13, finished second in the league in blocks behind only Oklahoma City Thunder center Serge Ibaka. On the season, he finished with 9.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Sanders is now the starting center for the Bucks, who tip-off their regular season on the road against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

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