2019 NBA Mock Draft: Re-evaluating the top prospects
The big news this week for the man who is a near lock to be the No. 2 overall pick was the massive new sneaker deal he signed. Ja Morant, according to ESPN, agreed to a “multiyear, multimillion-dollar” contract with Nike before the May 14 draft lottery in Chicago. That means Nike was so confident he would help them generate revenue as a young face of the brand that they committed to him knowing he could end up in a smaller market like Memphis. That speaks to the level of confidence those around the league have in the Murray State product.
Morant could be the figurehead of a larger battle within the industry. “Sources at rival brands worry that as NBA rookie scale contracts continue to exponentially escalate at the top of the board, players will be less swayed to sign away from Nike over a few hundred thousand dollars difference per year between company offers,” ESPN reported. Players are making so much more money as the NBA’s salary cap explodes that their offers for a player’s first sneaker deal need to come in relatively higher to be competitive against Nike. No longer can they add a little to the top to sweeten the deal and steal a Nike would-be.
There was no rollout or discussion when it came to Morant’s sneaker contract. “As the shoe deal process got underway in late April and into early May, Morant followed a similar line of straightforward thinking, expressing ‘zero interest’ to meet with any company outside of his target, Nike,” ESPN reported.
Not only will Memphis be getting an exciting young player to add to a core already featuring Defensive Player of the Year in training Jaren Jackson Jr., they are getting someone in a committed relationship with the biggest sneaker company on the planet.