Duke Baines

Christ • Student - Athletes Development • Sports Philanthropy • Adjunct Professor

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

A lot can happen in a year. Keep hustling, stay motivated & Happy Friday.

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

We manifested all of this

[Timeless Sports @timelesssports_]

2016 NCAA Champions.

2026 NBA Champions.

[Wale @Wale]

Say hello to the bad guy!

[Brett Usher @UsherNBA]

Mike Brown has had a very cool career

[Sam Block @theblockspot]

Indiana won the National Championship.
Sam Darnold won the Super Bowl.
Knicks are in the NBA Finals.

Apply for your dream job.
Buy your mom a house.
Hit up your crush.

2026 is the year to just go for it all.

[Shams Charania @ShamsCharania]

Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall has become the president of basketball operations at Howard University, returning to Washington, D.C. to partner with the top-ranked HBCU in the country, school officials tell ESPN.

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

Sports have taken me around the world, blessed is an understatement. Forever grateful

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

Athletes chasing NIL should track the following:

• Engagement rate, not followers
• Content consistency
• Audience demographics
• Brand fit history

If you can’t show metrics, you cannot negotiate

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

Athletes Need Advisors, Not Handles

Too many athletes sign deals without understanding:

Term Length
Usage Rights
Exclusively
Exit Clauses

That’s not opportunity, that’s risk

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

Collectives still matter, but smart student- athletes treat them as cash flow, not a career strategy.

The real money comes from brands, owned IP, and repeated partnerships.

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

NIL deal approvals slowing down? That hurts athletes first.

Every delayed deal = lost momentum, lost leverage, and lost negotiating power.

Compliance should protect value, not freeze it

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

NIL isn’t just about getting paid, it’s about turning attention into an asset. Athletes who understand brand equity, audience data, deal structure will out earn talent alone

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

This years I've traveled to 7 different countries, walked in a lot of stadiums and arenas, learned so many lessons along the way. But most importantly kept God First and didn't lose myself

[🏁 Jamal Crawford @JCrossover]

Boy oh boy!

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

Chop Wood & Carry Water

[Owen @_OwenM_]

From Waterhouse to the world 🚀

— By Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

🎥 @realshellyannfp

[Front Office Sports @FOS]

EXCLUSIVE: A new bill has been introduced to block private equity deals with athletic departments or conferences, according to a draft of the bill obtained by FOS.

No school or conference would be permitted to sell ownership stakes to a sovereign wealth fund, PE, or hedge fund.

[NBACentral @TheDunkCentral]

Allen Iverson says he’s been sober for 6 months 🙏

[Duke Baines @_AgentBaines]

@jackmac Representation matters. Out of 100+ shows at @barstoolsports , only a few highlight Black and Brown voices. As leaders in the culture, @DaMidgetZimbo and @@Wallo267 have a real opportunity to expand understanding and push diversity forward

[On3 @On3]

NEW: Netflix has released the trailer for SEC Football: Any Given Saturday🍿

Premieres August 5
https://t.co/oCbglIF9Au