Ex-OKC player Jeremy Lamb reportedly influencing $800 million NBA owner's decisions due to romantic relationship with pop star daughter

The NBA's 2025 trade deadline saw a lot of activity, with the Sacramento Kings being one of the most active teams. The moves were not surprising, considering the middling situation the Kings found themselves in. However, reports from The Athletic's Anthony Slater suggesting that former OKC Thunder and Kings guard Jeremy Lamb had a part to play in how things played out in Sacramento have shocked the NBA fandom.

Lamb, who has been romantically involved with Anjali Ranadive, daughter of Sacramento Kings' owner Vivek Ranadive, was reportedly present with the owner as the franchise gave the go-ahead to trade franchise cornerstone De'Aaron Fox. This, combined with the fact that Lamb had been spotted in "proverbial power seats" at recent Kings games, fed into the narrative of his allegedly growing influence in the franchise's decision-making.

Vivek Ranadive, who boasts a net worth of $800 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), and his daughter, who has had a brief stint as a pop singer, have been often cited amongst the most involved ownership groups in the league.

The guard, who retired from basketball in 2024, made his last appearance in the NBA for the Kings in 2022. Lamb, whose most significant contribution to NBA history arguably comes with his involvement in the trade that saw James Harden move to Houston from OKC, had spent his last seasons as a professional basketball player with the Stockton Kings. It was during this stint that he reportedly got close to Anjali Ranadive, who was elevated to GM of the G League franchise in 2023.

NBA insiders with the Sacramento Kings state Lamb's influence in Mike Brown's dismissal

The trade sending De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and the decision to sack Mike Brown have coincided with the period during which Jeremy Lamb was seen at Kings games, and reports link the former NBA player to the two biggest decisions by the Kings this season.

Jeremy Lamb at the Kings Media Day, 2023 - Source: Getty

The article by Anthony Slater on The Athletic, which broke the news of Lamb's involvement, has gathered considerable attention and has only added to the narrative surrounding the Kings as one of the worst-run franchises in recent times. A recent spark of hope aside, the Kings have been languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference ever since the days of Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic.