Agent Rich Paul calls Anthony Davis trade reports ‘fake news’

Rich Paul wants to clear something up. Loudly.

The Klutch Sports boss says reports claiming he demanded the Mavericks trade Anthony Davis are flat-out wrong. In his words, that narrative is “fake news,” born from aggregation, telephone games, and internet echo chambers.

Paul said the reality is far simpler. If a player is happy where he is, great. If a player is settled, comfortable, and in a good situation, there is no incentive to force movement just for the sake of headlines.

“This idea I don’t want a player somewhere, that’s not true,” Paul said on the Game Over podcast.

His focus, he explained, is not on forcing trades but on people. Family. Stability. Well-being. And, yes, money. Paul joked that he does not care where the paycheck comes from, as long as his client is positioned to get paid and taken care of.

The larger message is clear. Davis’ situation in Dallas is not being driven by agent pressure, despite outside speculation. Paul is pushing back on the idea that he is pulling strings behind the scenes or steering Davis toward an exit.

Trade rumors will continue. They always do. Especially with a player of Davis’ stature. But Paul’s stance is simple — this is not a power play, not a demand, and not a behind-the-scenes campaign.

Sometimes the internet runs faster than the truth. Paul is saying this is one of those times.