NBA Draft Rumors: Ben Simmons Reportedly Wants To Play For LA Lakers to Have That Multi-Million Dollar Shoe Deal
LSU lead player and projected top pick Ben Simmons is reportedly holding off a potential lucrative multi-million dollar shoe deal in an apparent change of marketing strategy by his agent Rich Paul until he lands in the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA draft.
Being NBA's top rookie prospect comes with a wide array of perks and sponsorship deal as in the case of this year's favorite draft pick Simmons who, along with his business savvy Rich Paul, decides to weigh on the competing brand offers until the NBA Draft Lottery results come out. The original plan was to sign a sponsorship offer prior to the draft lottery. But his affiliation Klutch Sports Group thinks it is best to wait until the dust settles before inking a deal.
As reported by Yahoo Sports, Simmons was approached by footwear giant Adidas to sponsorship contract worth $10 million plus a $2 million signing bonus. In addition to the already juicy offer, the company will also give another $1 million as an incentive bonus should he be conferred with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
A slew of other bonuses and other marketing perks are in store for Simmons if the top draft pick demonstrates excellent gameplay performance. He might even have a chance of getting his own signature shoe once be becomes an All-Star player.
On the other hand, Nike's $7 million offer with less perks didn't do much to convince Paul's agency to sign in Simmons for a deal despite representing athletes who are already locked in to a sponsorship agreement with the shoe company, Sports Illustrated reported.
The 19-year-old athlete recorded an average of 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his previous season at LSU. Unfortunately for Simmons, the draft lottery is beyond Lakers' control. According to UPI, the highly popular purple and gold west coast franchise has 20% chance of getting the top pick at this year's Tuesday draft this week.
