Chinese shoe brand Anta has made Warriors G Klay Thompson a "new multi-year shoe deal extension offer that would place him among the highest earning footwear endorsers in the league," according to sources cited by Nick DePaula of NICEKICKS.com. Thompson's representatives at BDA Sports Management and Anta had "opened endorsement renegotiation talks earlier this fall, which would drastically amplify the value of his current shoe deal." Thompson, who is under contract with Anta through the '19-20 season, initially "left Nike and signed a signature shoe deal with Anta" in '14. The current deal pays him over $3M annually after base compensation, bonus incentives and sales royalties are combined. He has since "launched two 'KT' signature shoes, and is heavily featured in commercials and in the brand’s 8,000+ stores throughout China." The new deal is rumored to be up to $9M per year, if "all performance incentive bonuses and sales goals royalties are met." That figure would make Thompson the "highest paid NBA player with a Chinese shoe deal." One major factor in the "current waiting period from Thompson’s side is the fact that he just switched his marketing representation," hiring Wasserman Media Group to "handle all of his off-court endorsement opportunities." He will "still retain BDA to negotiate his NBA team contracts" (NICEKICKS.com, 12/3).
