The San Antonio Spurs may be down 0-2 in the NBA Finals after a heartbreaking loss on Friday night, but Victor Wembanyama has been nothing short of impressive in his first playoff run.
The French star is coming off a season in which he became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history and helped lead the Spurs to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014.
Now, NBA insider Shams Charania believes Wembanyama could be in line for a massive new sneaker deal when he becomes a shoe free agent later this year.
Could Victor Wembanyama Land the NBA’s Next Massive Shoe Deal?
The latest superstar to secure a major footwear agreement is Stephen Curry, who signed a $400 million deal with Li-Ning that includes his own line of basketball, athleisure, and golf apparel, as well as the ability to sign athletes to the brand.
With many of the NBA’s biggest stars, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Dončić, already tied to long-term endorsement deals, Charania believes Wembanyama could command a massive contract when his current agreement expires in October.
“You think about this next generation of guys, and Victor Wembanyama is at the highest of stages now in the NBA Finals,” Charania said on Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter’s Cousins podcast.
“Sources tell me his shoe deal is actually up in October as well, so he’s going to be a sneaker free agent. You think about the timing of this. He’s 22 years old, in the NBA Finals, just won Conference Finals MVP, and just won Defensive Player of the Year, the first unanimous winner ever.”
With Curry no longer serving as Under Armour’s primary face in basketball, Nike will likely make every effort to retain Wembanyama.
However, significant competition for the Spurs star is expected, which could drive his market value even higher.
“Anthony Edwards is locked in at Adidas and has a big deal. Luka Dončić is locked in at Jordan and has a big deal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander he’s got a big deal at Converse. Jayson Tatum is also locked in at Jordan Brand,” Charania continued.
“When you think about all the other faces being locked in, you have a guy like Wembanyama at Nike. We’ll see what happens with his future now on the shoe side, but clearly, he is that next guy up.”
Wembanyama does not yet have a signature shoe line, and Nike could certainly attempt to entice him with such an opportunity.
Regardless of which company ultimately signs him, however, landing one of the NBA’s brightest young stars is likely to require a substantial financial commitment.
For now, Wembanyama’s focus remains on the NBA Finals as San Antonio will attempt to erase its 0-2 deficit when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4.
