Joel Embiid Is Reportedly Signing A Sneaker Contract With Under Armour

Joel Embiid became on of, if not the, top sneaker free agents in the NBA recently as his rookie deal with adidas ran up and he hit the market ready to cash in on being one of the league’s fastest rising stars on and off the court. Gordon Hayward already found his new sneaker home with Anta, and Kawhi Leonard’s sneaker free agency has been predictably quiet, so Embiid can take center stage.

The star center has been seen in Under Armour during some of the Sixers’ preseason exhibition games in China — seen below in the Under Armour HOVR Havoc Mid.

That appears to be more than just posturing or testing, as Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reports Embiid will be signing with Under Armour, with a deal expected to be finalized on Wednesday. Embiid has not been shy about wanting a signature sneaker, and with only Steph Curry having a signature sneaker for Under Armour’s basketball line, they have plenty of room to give Embiid his own.

Adidas has not had a ton of success in the past with big men and signature sneakers, as Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and others have had signature sneakers with the company to varying degrees of success. Right now, adidas’ only signature sneakers belong to James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Derrick Rose, all of whom are guards. The company will have the opportunity to match Under Armour’s offer to Embiid, as sneaker free agents are all essentially restricted free agents, but if UA is willing to give him a signature and a massive deal, it might be tough to match.

Under Armour has reason to take the risk on giving Embiid a signature sneaker, as they’ve stalled out some in the basketball sneaker market after making a huge splash early in the Curry line. Embiid is the type of larger-than-life personality that could work, but it remains to be seen if a big man’s shoe can become a massively popular hoops sneaker on the market for average-sized humans.