Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in June's NBA Draft, will immediately become a prominent face for PumaNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Puma is "trying to make" a splash as it re-enters the NBA market for the first time in 20 years, according to Nick DePaula of ESPN.com. The brand "landed four of the top 15 picks" in the '18 NBA Draft, including the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, Suns C Deandre Ayton and Kings F Marvin Bagley III, and the company is offering players the chance to "immediately be the face of a brand, rather than waiting their turn at larger companies." Puma's upcoming marketing campaigns, input on future products, "quirky social media visibility and, yes, access to "The Puma Jet" -- the brand's new private plane for athletes -- became key factors" in appealing to players. Puma Global Dir of Brand & Marketing Adam Petrick said, "We're trying to do things differently." DePaula noted the company is "broadening the scope of its NBA roster," having recently signed Celtics G Terry Rozier. Puma will "aggressively court" this year's sneaker free agents now that players are able to take meetings, and are "hoping to expand the roster to as many as 15 players" by the beginning of the season. Jay-Z is a "major figure" in the company's "basketball relaunch as a whole." Jay-Z' "exact role remains cloudy," with Puma "framing his duties loosely as a 'cultural and creative consultant.'" However, from Puma's standpoint, even "without direct involvement from Jay-Z, the ongoing partnership with Roc Nation has proven mutually beneficial." The brand's first basketball shoe in 20 years, the Clyde Court, is released in October, and Puma is planning on making it available in a "variety of team and energy colorways" (ESPN.com, 8/1).
