According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kuzma will no longer be repping for Team Nike after officially signing a five-year deal with Puma. Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma became a sneaker free agent this off-season, but he is a sneaker free agent no more.
NBA Insider Marc Stein tweeted that Kuzma’s current endorsement partner, Nike, is not expected to match Puma’s proposed multiyear deal, which was rumored to be offered earlier in September. If Kuzma does end up inking a deal with Puma, he will be joining fellow Lakers Danny Green and DeMarcus Cousins as brand ambassadors for Puma.
Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (@kylekuzma) has signed a five-year endorsement deal with Puma, becoming a face of the company, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 2, 2019
Kuzma has been rocking Nikes since entering the league in 2017 and he was recently featured as part of Undefeated’s Nike Kobe 4 Protro collection, which honored other “Team Kobe” guys such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and DeMar DeRozan.
In signing with Puma, Kuz joins a stable of young stars that includes this year’s third overall draft pick RJ Barrett, as well as Kevin Knox, DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and Michael Porter Jr. Puma also has a number of vets on their roster, including DeMarcus Cousins, Terry Rozier, and Danny Green.
The deal with @PUMAHoops that the Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma finalized last week will pay him in the $3 million range annually over the next five seasons, industry sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 2, 2019
The brand recently introduced their brand new basketball sneaker, the Puma Clyde Hardwood, which nods to the original Puma Clyde sneakers that Walt “Clyde” Frazier wore on the court during the ’70s. The kicks, priced at $120, will make its retail debut on October 18 in a trio of white-based colorways including White/Black, White/Green, and White/Pink.
