Top NBA Draft Prospect Cooper Flagg Joins Former Spurs With Shoe Deal

Signing a shoe deal is one of the first steps NBA stars take when they turn pro, although after the NCAA allowed name, image, and likeness deals to be signed by college athletes, players can sign with companies before they give up their amateur status.

While Nike and Addidas are still the giants of the sneaker world, brands like Under Armour and New Balance have added some big names to their portfolio, with the latter adding one of the brightest young stars in the basketball world, Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, who committed to Duke University, is the consensus first-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite being a year younger than most of his competition. The 6-9 forward originally from Maine dominated both ends of the floor for Montverde Academy before committing to the Blue Devils and spending the summer playing for Team USA's Select Team, where he competed next to some of the best players in the NBA.

Flagg signed a shoe deal with New Balance, which has a manufacturing facility in Maine. Flagg told ESPN that he feels at home with the brand, saying, "My mom used to go to the tent sale for back-to-school shopping there when we were kids. That really aligns the brand with my roots. It's a perfect fit."

Flagg joins former San Antonio Spurs Kawhi Leonard and Dejounte Murray, who are also signed to the brand. Leonard's most recent shoe, the KAWHI IV, retails for around $160.

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New Balance has recently attracted younger players to the brand with their "We Got Now" tagline, and up-and-coming NBA players like Tyrese Maxey, Darius Garland, and Aaron Nesmith are all signed to the brand. Other high-profile young athletes like Coco Gauff and Cameron Brink are signed to the company.

The details of Flagg's deal have not yet been disclosed.