Top Draft Prospect Markelle Fultz Thought About Signing to Big Baller Brand

Markelle Fultz thought about signing with Big Baller Brand before he got his Nike deal.

Markelle Fultz Lonzo Ball
Image via Jennifer Buchanan for USA Today Sports
Markelle Fultz Lonzo Ball

Presumptive first-overall NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz announced that he'd signed a deal with Nike on Friday, becoming the latest rookie addition to the brand's roster of athletes. That wasn't his only footwear endorsement option though: in a piece at the Washington Post, the former Husky mentioned an interest in Big Baller Brand.

"I was thinking about it, but then I would make [LaVar Ball] money, though," Fultz said. He also commented that he didn't know if there were serious talks about him joining the Ball family's upstart imprint.

As mentioned by Fultz's trainer in the piece, it's unlikely that Big Baller Brand actually has the capital to pay anyone, and it certainly doesn't have the capital to offer the kind of deal that Nike likely did.

The piece mentions that Nike has already thrown sneaker ideas at Fultz, one rep calling him on the night of the lottery for input on footwear.