Former Sacramento Kings player and front office member Peja Stojakovic recently commented on the end of De’Aaron Fox’s time in California’s capital, having strong feelings about how Rich Paul may have been involved.
“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 on the NBA Out of Bounds podcast.
“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.”
YouTube video
It’s important to note that the interview was held in Serbian, which leads to some questions about the proper translations. Specifically the use of the word “blackmail.”
Also, while the obvious connection of Fox and LaVine both being Paul’s clients, the teams are still the ones to approve of these deals, not agents.
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More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
With less than two weeks to go until the 2025 NBA Draft, the rumor mill is beginning to churn for the Sacramento Kings.
It’s no secret that new general manager Scott Perry will be seeking a point guard as the franchise looks to fill the gap left by the trade of De’Aaron Fox, and several names have emerged as potential options–both long-term and short-term possibilities.
This week, reports surfaced that linked Sacramento to Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young and Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland as potential long-term solutions to the position. Now, the Kings have reportedly been eyeing some less-notable options who could come at a cheaper price than Young or Garland.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Sacramento has been linked to veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who could be on the move from Boston this summer as the Celtics look to shed salary, Washington Wizards guard and former Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart, as well as soon-to-be free agent guard Malcolm Brogdon.
Read More:
Report: Kings showing interest in three veteran PG’s
What’s next for the Sacramento Kings offseason?
Although the Sacramento Kings do not own a first-round pick, they are in the process of preparing for June 25-26th’s 2025 NBA Draft.
Sacramento’s first-round pick was finally conveyed to Atlanta in what was the final ripple effect from the 2022 offseason trade that brought Kevin Huerter to the Kings.
While they won’t select in the first round, Sacramento owns the 42nd pick in the draft, meaning they will select at least one player on Day 2 (June 26th) of the draft.
Be sure to keep up on all Sacramento Kings offseason news right here on Sactown Sports 1140, with live on-air coverage every Monday-Friday from 6 am to 6 pm PT.
Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:
Wednesday, June 25th-Thursday, June 26th – 2025 NBA Draft
Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
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