Report: P.J. Hairston's agent is not certified, Hornets could be fined

P.J. Hairston was said to have rehabilitated his image.

After leaving North Carolina following a suspension early in the season, Hairston was a good soldier in the D-League and was said to have impressed teams in the pre-draft process with his maturity and how he answered questions about that situation, which stemmed from Hairston using rental cars tied to a convicted felon.

The Charlotte Hornets rolled the dice on him with the No. 26 pick in the draft, a spot that could be considered a value given where his draft stock was before his suspension.

Unfortunately, Hairston's NBA career hasn't started off on the right foot. First, Hairston was charged with assault and battery after a pick-up game altercation with a high school player. He's also been connected to troubled Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon, who was driving Hairston's car when he was pulled over when he was arrested for a suspected DWI.

Now, Hairston and his camp may have cost the Hornets organization $50,000.

That's because Hairston's agent, Juan Morrow, is not certified by the NBPA, according a report from the Sporting News. Morrow hasn't even applied to the NBPA for certification, let alone been approved, and they have "no record" of Morrow.

Based on the collective bargaining agreement, a team can be fined $50,000 for negotiating a player contract with an agent who is not certified, a list each team has. Hairston hasn't signed his rookie deal yet - or at least, the team hasn't said as much publicly - so the team may be in the clear.

It's something that needs to be ironed out quickly, however, and it's yet another bump in the road for Hairston.

UPDATE: Apparently, Morrow had previously listed himself as a "certified player agent" on his website but has since taken that descriptor down.

[Dap EOB]