NBA: Rich Paul told teams to avoid drafting his client, Chris Livingston, in second-round

NBA super agent Rich Paul astonishingly told teams around the league to pass on Chris Livingston – his latest client among countless others –  on draft night, Thursday.

Paul, who’s the CEO of Klutch Sports, which represents the likes of LeBron James, Draymond Green and Trae Young, called plenty of front offices during the second round, telling them to avoid drafting Livingston, a forward coming out of Kentucky. 

The 19-year-old, six-foot-six prospect, a consensus five-star recruit from Akron, Ohio – LeBron James’ hometown – was eventually selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the final pick of the draft – No. 58 –  earning himself the ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ accolade. 

Apparently the move was calculated ahead of time by one of the world’s most powerful agents in sports. 

According to Shams Charania, of The Athletic, Livingston received reassurance that he’d be drafted by the Bucks two weeks prior to the draft, prompting the player to cancel seven workouts with other NBA teams. 

NBA agent Rich Paul called NBA teams to tell them not to draft his client, Chris Livingston

Livingston was eventually drafted as the No. 58 overall pick of the draft on Thursday night

And on Thursday, Paul made sure to call teams to inform them that his client had a ‘set draft spot in the second round.’ 

Paul was pictured striking conversation over the phone over lengthy periods of time while attending the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. 

The agent, who’s currently dating Grammy-winning artist Adele, owns a portfolio of big-name clients in the league, including Anthony Davis and De’Aaron Fox, other than those already aforementioned. 

Livingston will now join a championship contender in the Bucks, developing under two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Livingston only played a year at Kentucky, averaging 6.3 points before declaring for the draft

Paul’s master plan might stem from amendments made to the new NBA collective bargaining agreement, which allows teams to sign second-round picks to longer contracts than players drafted in the first-round. 

Ahead of Thursday night, it was widely believe that Livingston would be drafted higher than No. 58 overall, with rumors claiming that the former Wildcat registered interest from the Lakers, giving the player hope that he’d play alongside James in his first ever NBA season. 

Livingston previously spoke highly of the Lakers superstar, referring to James as a ‘mentor and a role model.’ 

He also features in the production of James’ biopic, ‘Shooting Stars,’ which covers the four-time NBA champion’s life while growing up in Akron, where Livingston is also coincidentally from. 

Livingston only played a season of college basketball at Kentucky, averaging 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game.