13 years ago when LeBron James became the number one pick, the Akron native agreed to an $90 million deal with Nike.
As we fast-forward to now, the 6-foot-10 Australian sensation will be looking to get a more lucrative shoe deal, which could surpass $100 million.
Sneaker guru Sonny Vaccaro spoke on the matter:
“The number doesn’t astonish me, the number’s been stagnant since LeBron,” grassroots sneaker guru Sonny Vaccaro told SNY.tv on Thursday. “It would be the new precedent because LeBron was the last and [Simmons] has the makings in the mind of the NBA that he could be a great, great player. So that’s basically what they’re saying, he’s going to get a $100 million deal. I would understand that.”
While Nike appears to be the leader in the clubhouse, Adidas and Under Armour could change the tide if they’re willing to up the price.
“adidas and Under Armour may throw a number out there, maybe more to push it up,” Vaccaro said. “I would say maybe [$100 million] is not enough because times have changed. We’ve seen $20 million-a-year contracts now but they’ve been for established players.”
Whenever LSU’s season is over with, there will surely be a bidding war for Ben Simmons.