Sneaker juggernauts Nike and Adidas are just two of the many suitors looking to sign Bulls’ guard Zach LaVine according to a report from ESPN’s Nick DePaula. LaVine is currently rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered last season as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nike currently has a contract with LaVine, though it expires at the end of this month. The Timberwolves dealt LaVine to Chicago in the Jimmy Butler trade that occurred on the night of the NBA Draft.
LaVine’s agent Nima Namakian at BDA Sports appears confident that he will have plenty of interest on the sneaker market. “The interest in Zach from a brand perspective was instantly raised when he went from being the third option in a small market to the primary option in a legacy market,” Namakian says. Nike appears to be making a play to retain LaVine and they can match any offer if another company scoops him up. Adidas is trying to restock their fleet of NBA talent and are reportedly interested in LaVine. The two also have a connection, as the two-time Dunk Contest winner wore Adidas brand during his one year of college at UCLA.
“For the next phase of his career, Zach is looking for an organic partnership where the brand’s belief and vision is genuine and aligned with his,” Namakian said. “He wants to be a creative and engaged partner working together in continuing to grow his brand globally.” LaVine is expected to make a decision by the end of September after he is pitched to by several companies.
The report also says that the interest in LaVine extends to foreign companies as well. Chinese companies Li Ning, Anta, and Peak all reportedly have LaVine at the top of their respective lists. According to one brand source in China who spoke to ESPN, LaVine is “the only player” they’ll pitch this year. And if past deals from BDA are any indication, LaVine is in for a lucrative contract. Most recently, Klay Thompson and Rajon Rondo, both with BDA, locked up multi-million dollar deals with Anta.
There is no current timetable for LaVine’s return to the court, though there is some speculation that he could come back by the All-Star break. LaVine’s vertical jump post-surgery is also reportedly higher than his combine numbers, so there is hope that he could come back with even more crazy-athletic dunks.
