Last week, NBA agent Rich Paul received quite a lot of flack for holding a pro day for the rookie prospects signed to his Klutch Sports agency.
The criticism was primarily centered around the belief that Paul was giving his clients, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey, an unfair amount of exposure.
While many felt confident that rules were being broken, it appears Paul and his agency did everything by the book.
“But as agents privately bristled, league sources confirmed to The Daily News that Klutch Sports broke no rules,” Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News wrote. “In fact, it was the opposite: While other agencies chose not to host a Pro Day, Klutch found a way to carry one out.
“Klutch has long been the master of the loophole, to the chagrin of its peers, and in partnering to broadcast their clients’ Pro Day on ESPN, the agency ensured everyone from teams picking or interested in trading up to the top-three, to lottery-picking teams like the [New York] Knicks — whose brass reportedly watched Maxey together on TV — didn’t miss out on the action.
“On top of that, there are no NBA rules that govern what agents and agencies can or cannot do for their clients once they declare for the NBA Draft. Those guidelines are set forth by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the players’ labor union. Klutch merely moved first, and opportunity loves speed.”
It looks as though the pro day was just another genius stroke by Paul.
Perhaps the most impressive decision was to host Los Angeles Lakers stars and Klutch clients LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the pro day.
That surely increased interest in the event and gave the Klutch youngsters a chance to fraternize with two of the most important names in the game today.
