The New York Knicks and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) share a close relationship. In 2020, Leon Rose took over as team president for the Knicks, coming from CAA, where he was regarded as one of the top basketball agents in the country. Rose's CAA ties have benefitted New York, such as with the Jalen Brunson signing, but they haven't come without conflict.
Klutch Sports, run by Rich Paul, and the Knicks have had a rocky relationship. When the Zach LaVine trade rumors floated around over the summer, New York Daily News reported that his representation "opposed" a trade to the Knicks (subscription required).
Before the 2024 trade deadline, a shocker happened. New York Post reported that Rose and Paul had a sit-down where "things were hashed out." The Knicks didn't trade for a Klutch client before the deadline, but moving forward, that could happen.
Carmelo Anthony, who Rose represented, discussed the repaired relationship on a recent episode of his podcast "7PM in Brooklyn."
"So now to patch that energy up and come to peace, like, we’re men now and gonna figure this out. … You have to, because no matter what, you need New York. You can’t go around New York. You can try to, but you gotta come back here. Especially when you’re in certain industries. When you’re in music, when you’re in f—ing sports, you gotta come through New York. So when you don’t have no relationship with the Knicks, you ain’t got no relationship around. Your relationship game ain’t strong around the NBA."Carmelo Anthony, via New York Post
Carmelo Anthony says renewed Knicks-Klutch ties will "benefit everybody"
Melo is right. New York is one of the largest media markets in the NBA, so it wasn't easy for Klutch to avoid the Knicks. Now that the organization is on the rise and looking for a superstar to trade for, it helps that Rose and Paul have a business relationship.
Klutch represents stars like LeBron James, Dejounte Murray, Tyrese Maxey, and Trae Young. That isn't to say that the Knicks will be interested in one of those players, but if they were, they wouldn't have to worry about Klutch being a barrier.
Fans can still expect New York to go after CAA clients (OG Anunoby was the latest), but they don't automatically have to count out anyone who's represented by Klutch. As Melo said, it works out for both sides!