Sometimes when things aren’t going as planned, a simple trip back to the drawing board is all you need. Ben Simmons decided to leave LSU after one year and is expected by many to be the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. Everything is going as planned for Simmons and agent Rich Paul except Simmons’ shoe deal.
With two very nice offers on the table, Simmons and Klutch Sports Group have a new strategy in place in hopes of boosting his current offers.
According yahoo.com, Simmons and his management team feel that he will raise his worth if he is drafted by a team in a large market such as the Lakers and Knicks verses landing on a team like the 76ers or Suns who are in much smaller markets.
Simmons will sign with Adidas or NIKE but with the current offers on the table not yet signed, he has decided to wait until after the draft to choose which means he seemingly prefers to sign with NIKE. Adidas has offered a $10 million deal that includes an additional $3 million in the form of a signing bonus and incentive. NIKE has been unwilling to negotiate numbers after offering a 5-year deal worth $7.5 million. If Ben Simmons lands in a big market like L.A. or New York, NIKE might be willing to offer a little more to Simmons like that did last year for D’Angelo Russell to keep him from signing with Adidas.