New Balance has signed high school basketball standout Darius Bazley from Cincinnati to an endorsement deal, according to the New York Times.
Bazley, 18, initially committed to attend Syracuse but in March signed with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports and indicated he planned to play in the G League, the NBA’s development league. In August, Bazley said he had reconsidered and decided not to play in the G League, instead using the year to train and prepare for the 2019 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 forward is currently Sports Illustrated’s number 31 prospect in the 2019 class.
According to the Times, the multi-year deal will be worth $14 million if he reaches all his performance incentives with $1 million guaranteed regardless of how his prospective NBA career works out. The incentives include winning rookie of the year, Finals MVP and being an All-Star in each year of the deal.
As part of the contract with New Balance, he will now intern at company’s marketing, digital, footwear and apparel departments from January to March.
New Balance was reportedly looking to sign Gordon Hayward to an endorsement deal to mark its return to performance basketball footwear, but the Boston Celtics’ star recently signed with Anta. New Balance is known for not endorsing star athletes but has signed a number of MLB players in recent years. In basketball, New Balance is best known for its endorsement of James Worthy in the ’80s with the deal including the development of a signature shoe. The brand also sponsored Matt Bonner in the early 2000s.
