Peja Stojakovic has publicly accused agent Rich Paul of manipulating the three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
During an appearance on the NBA Out of Bounds podcast, the former Kings All-Star stated that Paul “blackmailed” NBA teams to control the outcome of the February 3 trade.
According to Stojakovic, the Klutch Sports CEO orchestrated Fox’s move to San Antonio while simultaneously placing Zach LaVine — another Klutch client — in Sacramento.
“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.
He added that Paul’s actions “limited Sacramento from a business standpoint,” claiming the Kings could have received greater value had they negotiated with other teams.
The trade involved three teams — the Kings, Spurs, and Bulls — and sent Fox and Jordan McLaughlin to San Antonio. In return, Sacramento received LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks, and two second-rounders. The Bulls added Kevin Huerter from the Kings, while also acquiring Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and a 2025 first-rounder.
Fox appeared in 17 games for the Spurs, averaging 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists before being sidelined by a finger injury that required season-ending surgery.
Sacramento, led by Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, finished the regular season with a 40–42 record, good for ninth in the Western Conference.
