Nerlens Noel, a restricted free agent, has been in a long standoff with the Mavericks over a new deal. Noel reportedly believes he's worth a max contract, but Dallas doesn't want to give him that kind of deal. Noel could go elsewhere to sign an offer sheet and force Dallas to match it or let him walk, but so far the only team Noel has been linked to is Dallas.

With the process taking so long, Noel has decided it's time for a change and will be switching agents. According to Michael Scotto, Noel will hire Rich Paul of Klutch Sports to be his new agent.

What Noel is doing is unprecedented. Players typically don't change agents right in the middle of their free agency process. Especially in August. However, with how much time has passed in the process perhaps he felt that new representation would do better in getting him a deal.

Noel's new agent, Rich Paul, is also the agent of LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, and Eric Bledsoe. He has a history of getting players good deals, but he's also known for very long holdouts. It wouldn't be surprising to see Noel's contract discussions go even longer than they already have, but if Noel gets the deal he wants then he'll be happy with the results no matter how long it takes.