Without even having played a single minute of action in the NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Darius Bazley already has quite a buzz surrounding him. The intrigue appears to be reaching another level, with reports now stating that there appears to be more than meets the eye with regards to the 19-year-old's plans to skip the Summer League.
Erik Horne of The Oklahoman reports that superagent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who currently represents Bazley, appears to have a hand in the 23rd overall pick's unavailability for the Summer League.
It is worth noting that Bazley took quite an unconventional path towards the NBA, with the former McDonald's All-American deciding to skip college and just train on his own for a full year before entering this season's draft. Horne reports that under the same logic, this is probably why Bazley's camp is hesitant to let him participate in the Summer League.
If Bazley and Klutch Sports are confident in the 6-foot-9 forward sitting out an entire season, what’s a few more months? It’s no coincidence that Bazley may not play for the Thunder in the NBA Summer League.
At the end of the day, it seems to be all about the money. Bazley has yet to sign a contract with the Thunder, and it seems that Rich Paul is happy to hold him out until a deal is made official.
Erring on the side of caution also carries over to the agencies representing players. Klutch Sports — which represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons and John Wall, among others — is known to be protective of its clients. That protection spans from injuries to leveraging every inch in contract negotiations.
Bazley is definitely not on the same level as the aforementioned stars above, which also happen to be connected to Klutch Sports. Then again, this barely matters, as it is the primary objective of Paul and company to squeeze out as much money in a any deal for all their clients, regardless of league status.
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