adidas has quietly established the best group of rookies of the 2014 NBA Draft class. With Andrew Wiggins and Dante Exum already in the fold, adidas got even richer by adding two more lottery picks to their roster: Joel Embiid and Marcus Smart.
Sources confirmed to SLAM that both Embiid and Smart have signed contracts with adidas. Exact terms were not disclosed, but it was confirmed that both contracts will be multi-year deals. Embiid, who was drafted third overall by the Sixers, is widely expected to sit out his entire rookie campaign while recovering from foot surgery. Smart, who was the sixth overall pick by the Celtics, just finished an Orlando Summer League that saw him average 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists for Boston.
On Wednesday morning, adidas confirmed the partnerships with an official release:
PORTLAND, Ore. (July 16, 2014) – adidas today announced partnerships with Joel Embiid, the No. 3 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers and Marcus Smart, the No. 6 pick by the Boston Celtics.
The two rookies will be featured in a variety of upcoming adidas initiatives and will play a critical role in the development of basketball footwear and apparel.
