While most of today’s NBA news has to do with the reboot plan that will begin at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida later this month, Trae Young made an important move during the hiatus.
Young’s agent, Omar Wilkes, left Octagon Sports to join Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. Wilkes became the head of basketball in Klutch, which allowed Paul to take on more of a CEO role.
Young had the chance to stay with the Octagon, but due to a strong relationship with Wilkes, he also made the jump with Klutch Sports. The move was widely expected, but nonetheless rumors of the Los Angeles Lakers started instantly.
Thanks to the affiliation of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell Pope with the agency, the Lakers have become the de facto face of the NBA towards Klutch, despite the fact that the majority of their customers are not part of the Lakers .
There is also the fact that Young is part of a modest Hawks team and his branding would be immediately helped by forcing his way to Los Angeles. However, Young’s father, Rayford, said the move has absolutely nothing to do with the Lakers, and that it’s about The Klutch brand to pave your way, according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner:
“I wish people would look at his story,” said Rayford. “He was never a follower. When he won the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, he could have gone to a super team afterwards. He declined going to the Oak Hill Academy, which is one of the best prep schools. People told him in high school that he wouldn’t be an American or a high-level recruiter if he went to a local high school in Norman, Oklahoma. He had an average of 44 points in his senior year and was an All-American. So they told him it wouldn’t be the first round if he went to Oklahoma. Calipari sat in our living room and said, “If you want to be a lottery choice, you’d better come to Kentucky.” He stayed with Oklahoma. He was never a follower. This whole affair with Klutch has never had anything to do with one day playing with the Lakers. They have a lot of people on their list who aren’t with the Lakers.
“I would like to ask those fans who are fans of Trae or Atlanta to look only at his story. He knows this is a team effort, but one day he would like to have that statue next to Dominique (Wilkins). I already told you, my son is 6 feet-1, but he thinks he’s the best player on the pitch, it doesn’t matter if LeBron is on the ground with him. I hope you don’t come back against him, but he has big balls and is very confident. He only knows what he wants to accomplish. I never think my son will join a super team unless they all come to Atlanta. He only has too much pride to do it. Maybe that pride will fail, but who knows. My son saw it happen here in Oklahoma City with (Kevin Durant). He wasn’t one of those who called him cupcake, but he saw the backlash of something like that happen. “
Young still has a rookie contract and will eventually be a limited free agent, which means the Hawks still have many years of team control. Young is the perfect star to bring the Hawks back to relevance.
However, due to James and Davis and their path to team up with the Lakers, this kind of thing will never stop when a new player signs with Klutch. If anything, it talks about the power and impressive list of customers that Paul has accumulated in such a short time.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive event coverage, participate in live shows and more!
