Draymond Green's recent signing with Klutch Sports draws a natural link to LeBron James, just as the the earlier Anthony Davis signing did heading into the season. Yet the Golden State Warriors forward assures his former NBA Finals rival had no need to recruit him to the agency:

“It's impossible to say LeBron played no part in me joining Klutch, simply because he has been Klutch since the beginning,” Green told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “He's essentially a founding partner. I've already had a relationship with LeBron for years, so it's always good to be able to do business with family that's going about their business in the right fashion and getting things done. But as far as recruiting me — no, LeBron didn't recruit me at all.”

James was not only one of the founding partners, but also the very first client under Rich Paul, with others like John Wall, Tristan Thompson, Ben Simmons, Eric Bledsoe and other NBA players later joining the circle.

Some have begun to question the real motive of what it means to be part of Klutch, as Thompson is his former teammate and Paul has already allegedly machinated Davis, one of his most recent clients, into joining James in Los Angeles:

“At some point, some respect has to be given to what Rich has built and what he represents,” Green added. “It's easy to criticize when the criticism is aimed at your opponent, but it's part of the game the average fan doesn't see. It's always been competition amongst agents, but this is different. It's bigger than just contracts. This is genuine, and it's the right move for me. We'll be in business long after I'm done playing. And that's more important than anything.”

It seems Green is making this move for the long haul, but he also is rapidly approaching a very important contract year in 2020, one he'll have to navigate with the best hands on board, as it might be the last big paycheck he earns in the NBA.

Green will be 30 by the time his opportunity to cash in the big bucks comes around.