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There isn’t a better person to learn the business of sports from than Rich Paul. The Klutch Sports founder has redefined what it means to be a power broker in the NBA, and now, he’s passing on that knowledge through a brand-new MasterClass. And who better to promote it than his biggest client and longtime friend, LeBron James?
Paul recently shared a clip on Instagram, promoting his MasterClass session where he teaches young aspirants how to be a great negotiator. He gives insights, through personal experiences, on all the necessary details one needs to know to be in that position.
Paul also brought in Draymond Green, one of his many clients, to share his knowledge on the subject. Being a supportive friend, LeBron shared a clip from Paul’s MasterClass on his Instagram story, giving his full support to Paul’s latest venture.
The story of Paul and LeBron goes way back. They first met when Paul was selling vintage jerseys out of his trunk, a grind that immediately earned LeBron’s respect. Paul would go on to work under Leon Rose at CAA, one of the biggest sports agencies in the world at the time. Rose was LBJ’s agent until 2012.
LeBron James promotes Rich Paul’s latest venture as super agent gives a Masterclass on making deals! pic.twitter.com/e0Eejp7pzu
— Top NBA Fan (@TopNBAFanToday) June 11, 2025
In 2012, Paul launched his own agency, Klutch Sports Group, and it was a no-brainer for his friend to be one of his first clients. Under Paul’s leadership, Klutch has signed stars like Anthony Davis, Darius Garland, Draymond Green, and many more. Paul’s approach to deal-making has always been bold yet calculated. He’s known for putting his clients first and challenging traditional power dynamics in sports.
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It’s no secret that having LeBron as one of his clients has helped Paul earn his stature in the world of sport. And the story of how they met is even more interesting.
A Warren Moon jersey started LeBron James and Rich Paul’s friendship
Paul wasn’t just selling vintage jerseys from the back of his truck; he was also a fan and would often wear them. During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Paul revealed that once he was flying to Atlanta, and LeBron was going to be on the same flight. Instead of wearing anything fancy or expensive, Paul was wearing a Warren Moon jersey.
LBJ had just seen Fabolous wear the same jersey in a music video, and he knew that he had to talk to Paul at the airport. “That gave him, I won’t say the courage, but the energy to strike up a conversation,” Paul explained. After that, they boarded the flight, sat next to each other, and had a long conversation.
When it was time to go their separate ways, Paul offered him his card and told him to go to the store and get a jersey for himself. “I said, ‘Here’s my business card. When you get to the store, go here. If I’m there, great. If not, just say my name they’ll give you my discount,” he said.
Although Paul didn’t think much of it at the time, it turned out to be the first meeting between two individuals who went on to make history.
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Bucks executive opens up on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
Yankees among teams in talks to acquire Padres starter
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stirred up a whirlwind, looking to fulfill his priority of bringing a frontline starter to New York. In his latest round of relentless phone calls, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that Cashman spoke to San Diego Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, about two-time Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. Cease has been a source of interest for MLB teams since 2022, when he pitched to a spectacular 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, coming second in the Cy Young voting. Landing with the Padres last season, Cease again flashed potential, tossing to a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts through 189.1 innings of work. That year, he placed fourth in Cy Young voting. But as much as Cease is talented, he is also flawed. In 2023, just after his best year, Cease posted a lackluster 4.58 ERA, and this season has been no better. Through 113.2 innings this year, Cease owns a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts. Cease has been quite the strikeout artist since his debut, but the rest of his results haven’t always been that good. His 42 walks and 16 home runs surrendered on the year make him a risky bet. According to Heyman, the Yankees are one of four teams that have “checked in” on Cease. He notes that trading Cease is a long shot since the Padres are in contention, but they still may be inclined to do so as he is in the last year of his contract. One might also add that his performance this year probably won’t help them reach the World Series. For the Yankees, or any other interested team for that matter, dealing prospects or players for a slumping half-year rental might not be the best idea. Still, the Padres might just receive a decent haul for Cease since the market for spotless, front-line aces is non-existent at this trade deadline.
Carter Hart, others found not guilty in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
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