If you don’t know the name Andrew Wiggins yet, you will by next year. The 18-year-old Kansas Jayhawk and son of former Houston Rockets player Mitchell Wiggins is being considered the top prospect for the upcoming 2014 NBA draft due to his impeccable skills on the court. Wiggins, who’s talent is being compared to NBA stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant, is one of those rare players who could have easily transitioned from high school to the NBA if it wasn’t for the league imposing a higher age-limit rule in 2005.
Wiggins’ skill set and the enormous amount of social media buzz the 6’8″ small forward has created is causing quite the bidding war. So much so, that he could end up receiving the most lucrative endorsement deal every offered to a rookie.
“Everybody is excited about (Wiggins’) talent,” a source associated with Under Armour told Bleacher Report. “From everything you see or hear, he’s the next kid coming into the NBA that’s going to demand, on talent alone, a significant amount from a brand. That type of commitment and interest for a rookie has really died down since LeBron and maybe Kevin Durant being the last one.”
Currently, Adidas is the front-runner in the bidding war that could earn Wiggins a $180 million payday by the time its all done. Realize this is for a shoe and clothing endorsement alone, he will still be earning his NBA salary on top of this sum.
“From what I’m hearing, (Adidas) is really high on him,” an industry source told Bleacher Report. “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.”
A source close to Wiggins’ inner circle added to the hype saying, “I’m hearing from people at Kansas that he’s got a $180 million offer supposedly coming from Adidas. But I also heard that Nike is going to match anything.”
For comparison, when Lebron James joined the league in 2003 he signed a seven-year, $93 million endorsement contract with Nike, the highest ever paid to a rookie in the NBA. Nike currently pays Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant between $10-20 million each per year, according to the Sports Business Daily. If Wiggins were to sign the $180 million deal, he’d be averaging $18 million a year.
Is Wiggins THAT good? Should companies shell out +$180 million for him? Watch the video below from his senior year in high school to find out!
