One of the top prospects in the 2019 NBA class, Darius Bazley, has reportedly agreed to a unique endorsement deal with New Balance that includes a $1 million internship “no matter what happens” with his N.B.A. career, according to The New York Times' Marc Stein.
Bazley, 18, had originally planned to play for Syracuse this season but announced he was decommitting in March so he could play in the NBA's G League. Since then, Bazley signed Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul, who also represents LeBron James, John Wall and Ben Simmons. Paul ultimately convinced the 6'9 small forward that competing against older and stronger men in the G League wouldn't be in his best interest.
“Right away I knew that the G League was not going to be good for Darius,” Paul tells Stein. “It’s great for some people, but there was no upside for him.”
“There will be some things he misses out on, but I’m not worried at all — not with the talent and skill set he has,” Paul said, according to Stein, and added: “No matter what we do this year, he still has to be developed in the N.B.A. You see it even with the highest draft picks — it’s not like you come into the league as a rookie and set the league on fire.”
Stein notes that Bazley's deal with New Balance can be worth up to $14 million if he reaches all performance incentives, but for now he'll be receiving $1 million as part of an internship that will run through January, February and March.