Omar Wilkes, one of the NBA’s most prominent agents, is leaving his post at sports agency Klutch Sports Group, founded by super-agent Rich Paul, to join digital sports platform Fanatics Inc. as the head of athlete relations at Fanatics Collectibles, the company’s trading card and collectibles business. The former University of California basketball player served as Klutch’s head of basketball for nearly three years, and his clients included Trae Young and former No.1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.
The move to snag Wilkes from Klutch is the latest example of how Fanatics looks to connect with both pro and student athletes and use influencer marketing to promote collectible products and drive growth throughout its portfolio. Wilkes, who previously repped NBA standouts including Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby and Portland Trail Blazers forward Cam Reddish, brings a deep roster of relationships with him to Fanatics, where he will report directly to Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan.
Wilkes, 38, will serve as an ambassador between Fanatics Collectibles and the sports and entertainment community. He will be tasked with strengthening the division’s relationships with athletes, celebrities, sports leagues, player associations, entertainment properties, and influencers as part of Fanatics Collectibles’ focus on creating exclusive products and experiences for collectors and fans.
Fanatics continues to build out its leadership team for its growing collectibles business. Michael Rubin’s company hired Mahan, the former Dick Clark Productions CEO, to lead the collectibles company in a newly created CEO role, and brought on former Snap executive Nick Bell earlier this month to be CEO of Fanatics Live, a new business division under the Fanatics umbrella centered on content-based commerce.
A former senior director at Octagon, Wilkes took over as Klutch head of basketball in 2020 in a move that allowed Paul to focus efforts more on expanding the agency in other areas, including into different sports like MLB. The company has since beefed up its football division, which will likely garner attention by negotiating a Jalen Hurts extension this offseason.
(This story was updated in the second and fourth paragraphs to correct the spelling of Mahan.)
