By , Brett Pollakoff
Published May 17, 2016
Ben Simmons is projected by many to be the No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA Draft, and since we don't yet know which team will end up selecting in that spot, Simmons (via Nick DePaula of Yahoo Sports) is holding off on signing a sneaker deal just in case the Lakers get lucky when the Draft Lottery results are revealed on Tuesday.
Nike is offering $7.5 million over five years with fewer performance incentives than the adidas contract structure. Nike, which presented second to Simmons last week, has shown an unwillingness to budge, sources said. Both offers are considered fair for a top pick.
The early strategy from Simmons and his Klutch Sports Group representation was believed to be a desire to sign a shoe deal before the draft lottery, but they aren't satisfied with the Nike offer, sources said. They're hoping that if the Lakers land the top overall pick -- which they have a 19.9 percent chance of doing -- Nike will move closer to matching adidas' offer.
Simmons has a more lucrative offer on the table from adidas, one that would pay him $10 million over five years and would include a $2 million signing bonus along with plenty of other incentives. But his representation (the same folks who represent LeBron James) clearly want to pursue a deal with Nike because of the existing relationship.
They want more money to make that happen, however, and they think that if the Lakers happen to land a pick high enough to select Simmons, the L.A. market might be enticing enough for the decision-makers at Nike to cut a larger check.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ben-simmons-waiting-on-sneaker-deal-to-see-if-he-gets-drafted-by-lakers