Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Klutch Sports Under Fire After Blockbuster NBA Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 8:45 AM ET

For agents of players in any sport, but in particular for a sport with relatively small roster sizes like the NBA, handling players usually requires a delicate balance. The players' needs come first, but the agency also needs to consider what's best for the teams involved, and the league in general. If players are leaving in free agency or seeking a trade, things generally work best--for the player, for the team, for the league and for the agent's reputation--if the agent can facilitate resolutions that serve all parties.

For the Kings, who traded away star point guard De'Aaron Fox this season after failing to sign him to an extension, things did not quite work out that way with their interaction with Fox and the deal that eventually sent Fox to the Spurs and landed Zach LaVine in Sacramento.

As Kings legend and former exec Peja Stojakovic told the podcast "NBA Mozzart" this week, fault for what was a bad deal lies with agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, the agency that represents LeBron James.

"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," Stojakovic said. "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."

There are certainly counter-arguments to Stojakovic's comments, including the notion that the Kings themselves had sabotaged the relationship with Fox with their own decisions, including the firing of coach Mike Brown.

But for many, Klutch Sports--which represents new coach Doug Christie--is the enemy, and Stojakovic's comments only reinforced that, particularly because he is such a respected figure in the NBA and globally.

It was noted by one Spurs reporter that Stojakovic had ignited controversy about the trade.

"Peja Stojakovic just poured gasoline on the DeAaron Fox to the Spurs trade before lighting a match— accusing NBA Super Agent Rich Paul of manipulating multiple NBA teams to control where his Klutch clients landed," he wrote.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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