The potential is mounting for the Memphis Grizzlies to land the NBA’s next big star — Ja Morant — in June’s NBA Draft. Who signed him to an endorsement deal?
At the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, the Memphis Grizzlies made it known to other teams at the event that they are focused on selecting Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick. In a miraculous series of events, the Grizzlies are less than one month away from receiving a lot of national attention in which has been rare for them in their entire existence.
Morant is a sure-fire star talent at the point guard position. He is such a promising talent that a few teams around the league have stated they would take the Murray State product with the No. 1 overall pick — ahead of Duke’s Zion Williamson — if they had possession of it. Ja truly appears to be the real deal.
On Monday, the Memorial Day holiday, Ja Morant broke news of his own — even ahead of Shams Charania‘s first report — regarding the inking of an endorsement deal.
All my life my parents worked for a check. Now I’m proud to say I work for the check. #Nike #NikeBasketball pic.twitter.com/b1mTTJLySr
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 27, 2019
Ja Morant is now tied to Nike, who also owns the licensing for the NBA’s uniforms. This is a smart choice, even in an age of professional basketball where brands such as Puma and New Balance are breaking into the game and landing deals with big-name guys such as Kawhi Leonard.
Though the amount of the multi-year deal is undisclosed at this time, this is big news for Ja Morant (obviously), but potentially for the Memphis Grizzlies, too. This is more than a new face of the franchise. Drafting Morant has the potential to own the rights to a player who is one of the most marketable names and faces in the entire association. He could become an NBA icon. That is the type of talent he appears to be.
It is also important to note that the Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. also signed an endorsement deal with Nike nearly one year ago. Still, when Jackson Jr. inked that contract in late-August of 2018, this shows how much more intriguing Ja Morant is as a basketball player. The hype is real — so real that Nike locked him down a month prior to the NBA Draft itself.
The potential pairing of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. would propel the Memphis Grizzlies into being one of the top teams to keep an eye on in the 2019-20 NBA season and beyond. That could be a one-two punch that would have the entire basketball world talking about Memphis, Tennessee. The opportunities are endless.
Jackson Jr. is already one of the top young frontcourt players in the NBA, and one of the top players under the age of 20. Ja is one month younger than Jaren. This is more than a couple of seasons of excitement for the Memphis Grizzlies. This upcoming NBA Draft could be the start of a very special era for Grizz Nation.
While it is hard to not get ahead of ourselves, Ja Morant is not yet in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform. Assuming he is the Grizzlies’ selection at No. 2 on June 20th, it will be a cause for major celebration. That particular night could become one of the best moments in franchise history — even before he plays in a regulation game.