Report: LSU’s Ben Simmons to sign shoe deal after draft lottery
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LSU star Ben Simmons and his agent, Rich Paul, will hold off on signing a shoe deal until after the NBA draft lottery, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Simmons is currently deciding between five-year endorsement offers from Adidas and Nike. The Adidas deal is more lucrative, offering $10 million overall, a $2 million signing bonus and a number of on-court incentives.
Nike is offering $7.5 million with less incentives, however, Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports, heavily represents athletes signed by Nike.
According to Yahoo!, Simmons and Paul hope that the Los Angeles Lakers win the No. 1 pick in the lottery, which would potentially lead to an increase in Nike’s offer.
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After the Lakers drafted D’Angelo Russell last season, Nike increased its offer to the former Ohio State guard. While top players in small markets hold signature deals, including Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Lakers and New York Knicks players still attract lucrative endorsements due to the high-profile markets they play in.
