Kings Legend Calls Out Rich Paul After De'Aaron Fox, Spurs Trade

In not signing an extension with the Kings, Fox and his agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports) also may have had an eye on Fox’s potential entry into the free agency market in 2026. Despite reports that Fox wanted to be a significant part of Sacramento’s future, there were also rumblings that the former All-Star was keeping close watch on the Kings’ front office and their roster moves.; if Fox didn’t like the direction the team was headed, he may opt to leave in free agency.

Instead, Fox was traded to the Spurs in February and may have requested the trade destination himself. Beyond simply asking to be traded, Fox gave the Kings only one preferred destination: San Antonio. In a recent statement, former Kings star Peja Stojakovic alleges that Fox and Rich Paul “blackmailed” the Kings in order to get Fox to the Spurs.

In Stojakovic’s estimation, Sacramento had to take a lesser trade package in return for Fox than they could have received if they had been able to fully shop the point guard around the league and negotiate with other teams. The Kings were in a position of little to no leverage due to the demand that Fox ended up in San Antonio. 

Furthermore, Stojakovic claims that the deal was orchestrated in such a manner as to guarantee that Zach LaVine - another client of Rich Paul and Klutch - be the player to land in Sacramento and take Fox’s roster spot. Peja had this to say on the matter:

“It seems there was a directive from his agent, Rich Paul, who played a key role and blackmailed the teams on which player was supposed to get traded where. He brought Fox to the Spurs and Zach LaVine, who is his player, brought him to Sacramento. By doing this, he limited Sacramento from a business standpoint, stating that they get a bit more from this trade with Fox if they had the same discussion with some other teams in the NBA.”

Stojakovic is not the first, nor the only, person to express that opinion, although his choice of words may be original. The Kings have received significant criticism for the trade, both for the return package and for the timing of the move. 

However, it is worth noting that Fox himself has since admitted that he did in fact tell the Kings’ front office that he wanted to play for the Spurs and there were no other options. Fox has steadfastly insisted that this conversation took place *after* he learned that the team was shopping him, though, and that he did not make any sort of trade demand.

So is Stojakovic right? Did De’Aaron Fox and Klutch Sports blackmail the Kings into sending Fox to the Spurs? Your answer likely depends greatly on your opinion of what Fox’s value was, both to the Kings and around the league, in February 2025. 

Perhaps the Kings could have gotten back more in a trade from another team, but in the end Fox’s value was always going to be limited due to the fact that he was already unhappy with the team’s direction and the recent firing of Mike Brown. Disgruntled NBA stars are notoriously difficult to get market-value compensation for, whether the front office is in talks with one other team or a dozen teams.