LSU F Ben Simmons "could sign a sneaker deal worth in excess" of $100M as he transitions to the NBA, according to a source cited by Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Nike "remains the favorite" to sign Simmons, but Under Armour and adidas "could get involved to drive up the bidding." Former footwear exec Sonny Vaccaro said, "The number doesn't astonish me, the number's been stagnant since [Cavaliers F LeBron James]. It would be the new precedent because LeBron was the last and (Simmons) has the makings in the mind of the NBA that he could be a great, great player. So that's basically what they're saying, he's going to get a $100 million deal. I would understand that." Before James became the No. 1 pick in '03 straight out of high school, he signed a deal with Nike "worth a reported" $90M. Simmons has been "tied into Nike for some time." His high school team, Montverde Academy in Florida, is "sponsored by the Swoosh," and LSU is "a Nike school." Vaccaro: "adidas and Under Armour may throw a number out there, maybe more to push it up" (SNY.tv, 3/3).
