Andrew Wiggins, arguably the most hyped NBA prospect since LeBron James a decade ago, is about to land the most lucrative endorsement deal for an incoming rookie in history — of course, only after he finishes his freshman year at Kansas. Bleacher Report sources say Wiggins’ deal could be in the $140-$180 million range, and that Adidas is the front-runner at the moment:
“(Adidas) is easily the front-runner, 100 percent,” said Rich Lopez, the publisher of the popular sneaker website KixandtheCity.com.
“From what I’m hearing, (Adidas) is really high on him,” an industry source said. “I’ve heard a range for sure, from like $140 to $180 million for like 10 years. That’s a big deal for a kid coming out of school because most rookie deals are probably like four years.”
“I’m hearing from people at Kansas that he’s got a $180 million offer supposedly coming from Adidas,” a source close to Wiggins’ inner circle said. “But I also heard that Nike is going to match anything.”
If Wiggins does ultimately choose Adidas, and at the $180 million price tag, it’d be the second major investment (in that dollar range) by the company to an NBA star in two years — Derrick Rose’s current deal is worth $185 million. The risk here is that Wiggins hasn’t stepped on an NBA court yet, whereas Rose, regardless of missing an entire season due to injury, is a proven commodity.
By comparison, LeBron’s initial deal with Nike was for seven years and $93 million.
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