It is believed across the basketball community that Duke superstar forward Zion Williamson’s college basketball career came to a close with an NCAA Tournament loss against Michigan State. With the NBA on his horizon, Williamson’s first big payday is likely to come from his sneaker contract, which is projected to be one of, if not the largest, in history.
ESPN’s Nick DePaula tracked down sneaker company executive Sonny Vaccaro who signed Michael Jordan to Nike back in 1984 and was prepared to toss $100 million at LeBron James during the time he served at Adidas. “I think it’s going to be the biggest bidding war ever done,” Vaccaro detailed.
The report also details the belief that Zion’s deal will reach an “astronomical tier” and using LeBron James signing a seven-year, $87 million deal and Kevin Durant’s rookie agreement of seven-year, $60 million as benchmarks.
Many see Nike being the foregone conclusion for Zion Williamson, however, all the major brands like Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, Puma, and Anta are ready to make an offer.
For Williamson, the next step would be to get an agent and then sign the deal before the NBA Draft lottery on May 14. The three teams with the best odds to land the star are the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Chicago Bulls fall in fourth place with about a two percent less chance of getting the number one pick.
