Top NBA draft prospect Marvin Bagley III signs massive Puma endorsement, its first deal since '98
Marvin Bagley III is still in the running to be the third Duke Blue Devil to be drafted first overall since 1999.
But he’s already accomplished something else that hasn’t been done since 1998, and that is signing an apparel and footwear endorsement deal with Puma.
Bagley is the first basketball player to sign with Puma since Vince Carter, who came out in the 1998 NBA draft.
The brand moved away from its basketball footwear business in recent years but is now trying to re-enter a market dominated by Nike.
Per The Athletic, Bagley’s five-year deal is worth $2 million to $3 million per year and is expected to be the largest rookie shoe deal since Kevin Durant signed a seven-year, $60 million contract with Nike in 2007.
Many are surprised that Bagley passed on brands such as Nike and Adidas to go with Puma.
Nike especially has to be surprised as his high school and college teams were both sponsored by the Swoosh.
Somebody at Nike getting demoted to Finish Line over Bagley signing with Puma.
— Coach John (@Sauce_MacKenzie) June 15, 2018
According to ESPN, Nike even funded Marvin Bagley II’s AAU basketball team on which the younger Bagley played. The team initially was named “PHX Phamily” as an ode to Bagley’s hometown but was renamed “NIKE Phamily.”
As part of the deal, Puma will create a grassroots infrastructure with the Bagley family that will focus on the future generation of AAU players. Marvin’s younger brother Marcus is a top prospect in the Class of 2020 and has received offers from UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State.
Bagley is projected to be a top five pick in next week’s NBA draft.
He has ties to two of the teams in the top five. The Phoenix Suns, who have the No. 1 overall pick, are Bagley’s hometown team, and his grandfather, Joe Caldwell, finished his career with the Atlanta Hawks, who have the third pick. Caldwell was a two-time All-Star with the Hawks and was also the Rookie of the Year in 1965 with the Pistons.
Bagley was the ACC Player of the Year in his one season at Duke and was also a consensus All-American. He led the conference in both points per game (21.0) and rebounds per game (11.1).
He is one of four Duke starters leaving school early to enter the draft. Add in senior Grayson Allen and the Blue Devils will have to replace their entire starting five next season.
Bagley is the first basketball player to sign with Puma in two decades, but more are on the horizon. The brand plans on signing additional rookies from the 2018 draft before shifting its focus to NBA veterans whose shoe deals are expiring soon.
Current athletes who have endorsements with Puma include New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, golfer Rickie Fowler and American soccer player Michael Bradley.
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