Writer · researcher · scout · cap obsessive

Mark Deeks

I run ShamSports, write about basketball operations and spend an unreasonable amount of time on the awkward overlap between players, contracts, roster construction and the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Mark Deeks

HoopsHype
Heavy
Forbes
Loose Balls podcast
Writing, analysis and media work across basketball, salary-cap strategy and player evaluation.

Who I am

The person behind the database

ShamSports is the perpetually unfinished pseudo-culmination of many years of laborious and financially unsuccessful study of basketball operations. I am interested in how teams identify talent, value players, manage money and use the rules to create options that were not obvious at first glance.

That means scouting, salary-cap mechanics, contract structure, transaction sequencing, roster balance and market value. The website concentrates chiefly on the first two of the traditional team-building disciplines: old-school player evaluation and cap management. You will need a real adult for the advanced analytics.

I have written for outlets including HoopsHype, Heavy and Forbes; produced video and podcast work; consulted with agents and team personnel; placed players internationally; and built tools, databases and long-form projects intended to make difficult basketball information easier to use.

At a glance

Basketball operations
Roster construction, contracts, cap mechanics and transaction strategy.
Player evaluation
NBA, G League, NCAA, Europe and international basketball.
Independent research
Databases, long-form writing, explainers and practical tools.
Available for work
Writing, research, consultancy, corrections and broadcast enquiries.
admin@shamsports.com

What this site contains

The main projects

Player Database

Thousands of profiles, career histories, current teams, scouting notes and player movement from around the world.

Browse the database →

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NBA Salaries

Team-by-team salary information, contract commitments and the numbers shaping roster decisions.

View salaries →

The Capulator

A practical roster-building and salary-cap scenario tool for testing transactions and offseason plans.

Open the Capulator →

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CBA Glossary

Plain-English explanations of NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement rules, including the obscure and irritating ones.

Read the glossary →

The Basketball Manifesto

Long-form project

The Basketball Manifesto

A large-scale player, roster and team-building project spanning the NBA, G League, NCAA, EuroLeague and other high-level competitions.

View the project →

Selected credentials

Writing, media and consultancy

Writing and analysis for HoopsHype, Heavy and formerly Forbes.
Profiled by Grantland and Sports on Earth.
Video analysis, podcast production and appearances, including the occasional Loose Balls.
Consultation with agents and team personnel, including international player placement.

Not entirely basketball

The quiz books

Collins Ultimate Quiz Night

Collins Ultimate Quiz Night

The first general-knowledge quiz book. It once reached number 242 on Amazon, which is not bad at all.

View the book →

Collins Pub Quiz

Collins Pub Quiz

A second book of general-knowledge questions and picture rounds. Still not basketball, but still mine.

View the book →

Contact and social

Find me elsewhere

Most readily and most regularly, I can be found self-publicising my work, quietly commanding the respect of the room and rarely staying on topic.

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