Trae Young's Dad is an NBA Agent/Trae Leaves Klutch Sports

[Jamaaliver]

I have no idea what to make of it...

[Jamaaliver]

And now, Trae's changing agencies.

You guys foresee anything major coming from this?

Is Trae's Dad gonna get a job at CAA?

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

And now, Trae's changing agencies.

You guys foresee anything major coming from this?

Is Trae's Dad gonna get a job at CAA?

Read on Twitter

Posted this in the mega Trae thread:

Reminder he only ended up at Klutch because his original agent went there.

Then....2020
Wilkes left Octagon this week to take over Klutch's basketball division. Founder Rich Paul, who previously headed the basketball department, is planning to focus on his role as CEO and continue his work expanding the agency's football and baseball business.

And now....(Feb 2023)
Omar Wilkes, one of the NBA's most prominent agents, is leaving his post at sports agency Klutch Sports Group, founded by super-agent Rich Paul, to join digital sports platform Fanatics Inc.

I don't know that it means much in the overall scheme of things. Anthony Edwards also left Klutch.

Article from 2020 when Trae joined Klutch:

Rayford said the Youngs hadn’t envisioned leaving Octagon, which also has Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo as clients, because it was positioning Young to become one of the next faces of the agency. When it became known behind the scenes that Wilkes was leaving Octagon, Young talked with several heads of the agency but ultimately decided he didn’t want to lose the comfort level he had with Wilkes.

Young also talked with several agencies this past weekend, notably CAA and Roc Nation, which both pursued him when he was an NBA prospect. During some of the conversations he had with some agencies, some agents said he could end up making double his Hawks salary in off-the-court endeavors the next two years if he ended up signing with their agency. None of that mattered because no one could offer the chance to continue working with the man who he calls his “big brother” other than Kluch, and that was the difference.

That’s what Octagon was fighting against after Wilkes left. Young could have stayed with Octagon and chosen Jeff Austin, Curry’s agent, or Alex Saratsis, Antetokounmpo’s agent, but Young didn’t have a formed relationship with either of them.

And if you know Young, loyalty to those he trusts is who he always has been at his core. Within minutes of suggesting Klutch was going to be the likely landing spot for Young, Twitter was abuzz with many NBA fans suggesting an inevitably of him joining the Los Angeles Lakers one day to pair with James and Davis. Photoshops of Young in a Lakers jersey appeared within the hour.

But Rayford wanted to be very clear, this decision isn’t the first sign of what could come when his son’s contract with the Hawks expires.

“I wish people would look at his history,” Rayford said. “He’s never been a follower. When he won the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, he could have went to a super team after that. He turned down going to Oak Hill Academy, which is one of the top prep schools. People told him in high school that he wouldn’t be an All-American or a top recruit if he went to a local high school in Norman, Oklahoma. He averaged 44 points his senior year and was an All-American. Then they told him that he wouldn’t be a first-round pick if he went to Oklahoma. Calipari sat in our living room and told him, ‘If you want to be a lottery pick, you better come to Kentucky.’ He stayed with Oklahoma. He’s never been a follower. This whole thing with Klutch never had anything to do with going to play with the Lakers one day. They have a lot of people on their roster who aren’t with the Lakers.

“I would ask those fans who are fans of Trae or Atlanta fans to just look at his history. He knows this is a team effort, but he wants to have that statue next to Dominique (Wilkins) one day, man. I’ve told you this before, my son is 6-foot-1, but he thinks he’s the best player on the court no matter if LeBron is on the floor with him. Hopefully, it never backfires on him, but he’s got big balls and is very confident. He just knows what he wants to accomplish. I never think my son is going to join a super team unless they all come to Atlanta. He’s just got too much pride to do that. Maybe that pride will backfire, but who knows. My son has seen it happen here in Oklahoma City with (Kevin Durant). He wasn’t one of those who called him a cupcake, but he’s seen the backlash of something like that happen.”

https://theathletic.com/1900730/2020/06/30/inside-the-pursuit-why-trae-young-signed-with-klutch-sports-and-what-it-means/

[Jamaaliver]

Posted this in the mega Trae thread:

Reminder he only ended up at Klutch because his original agent went there.
Article from 2020 when Trae joined Klutch:

Young also talked with several agencies this past weekend, notably CAA and Roc Nation, which both pursued him when he was an NBA prospect. During some of the conversations he had with some agencies, some agents said he could end up making double his Hawks salary in off-the-court endeavors the next two years if he ended up signing with their agency.

And if you know Young, loyalty to those he trusts is who he always has been at his core. Within minutes of suggesting Klutch was going to be the likely landing spot for Young, Twitter was abuzz with many NBA fans suggesting an inevitably of him joining the Los Angeles Lakers one day to pair with James and Davis. Photoshops of Young in a Lakers jersey appeared within the hour.

But Rayford wanted to be very clear, this decision isn’t the first sign of what could come when his son’s contract with the Hawks expires.

https://theathletic.com/1900730/2020/06/30/inside-the-pursuit-why-trae-young-signed-with-klutch-sports-and-what-it-means/

Thanks for posting this.

I gotta be honest, this does feel like a significant signing.

CAA is constantly trying to poach clients from other agencies. They'd only be able to pull this off by: promising Trae and Family something that no other agency could.

I have no idea what that is or if they'll be able to follow through. But a player doesn't make this change mid NBA contract unless:

1. something is seriously wrong with the old partnership, or
2. they're expecting something really big from this new partnership.

[jayu70]

Posted this in the mega Trae thread:

Reminder he only ended up at Klutch because his original agent went there.
Article from 2020 when Trae joined Klutch:

Young also talked with several agencies this past weekend, notably CAA and Roc Nation, which both pursued him when he was an NBA prospect. During some of the conversations he had with some agencies, some agents said he could end up making double his Hawks salary in off-the-court endeavors the next two years if he ended up signing with their agency.

And if you know Young, loyalty to those he trusts is who he always has been at his core. Within minutes of suggesting Klutch was going to be the likely landing spot for Young, Twitter was abuzz with many NBA fans suggesting an inevitably of him joining the Los Angeles Lakers one day to pair with James and Davis. Photoshops of Young in a Lakers jersey appeared within the hour.

But Rayford wanted to be very clear, this decision isn’t the first sign of what could come when his son’s contract with the Hawks expires.

https://theathletic.com/1900730/2020/06/30/inside-the-pursuit-why-trae-young-signed-with-klutch-sports-and-what-it-means/

Thanks for posting this.

I gotta be honest, this does feel like a significant signing.

CAA is constantly trying to poach clients from other agencies. They'd only be able to pull this off by: promising Trae and Family something that no other agency could.

I have no idea what that is or if they'll be able to follow through. But a player doesn't make this change mid NBA contract unless:

1. something is seriously wrong with the old partnership, or
2. they're expecting something really big from this new partnership.

With Wilkes no longer an agent, he probably felt he needed new representation. I think Klutch is all about LeBron.

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[raleigh]

Watch on YouTube