The 2016 NBA Draft is still more than a month away, but the presumptive No. 1 overall pick may already be trying to steer his way towards a particular destination.
According to a report by Nick DePaul of The Vertical on Monday, forward Ben Simmons, still looking to officially sign a shoe endorsement deal, would like to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers to increase his marketability, and therefore his leverage in ongoing negotiations with Nike and Adidas.
The 19-year-old Simmons, who is represented by agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, is said to have a five-year, $10 million deal with a signing bonus and an incentive bonus on the table from Adidas. Nike, meanwhile, is supposedly offering Simmons a five-year, $7.5 million deal with fewer incentives.
Simmons and his camp are apparently not satisfied with the Nike offer and are hoping that if Simmons lands on the Lakers, Nike will inch closer to matching the offer from Adidas. It’s worth noting as well that Paul/Klutch Sports’ most famous client, LeBron James, is also the poster boy for Nike.
From a basketball standpoint, the Lakers have a 19.9 percent chance of winning the top overall pick in Tuesday’s lottery and a 38.7 percent chance of landing in the top-two. Simmons looks like the likely choice to go No. 1 overall, but Duke’s Brandon Ingram could also be in that discussion.
It’s not certain if the Lakers see Simmons as the best fit for their team, especially given the positional overlap he has with Julius Randle and the question marks surrounding Simmons’ jumper and ability to play the 3 at the NBA level. But if Simmons gets his way, it will be Viva Los Angeles all the way come June 23.
