NBA Draft Prospect Dante Exum Signs Endorsement Deal with Adidas

He hasn't played in his first NBA game yet, but 18-year-old guard Dante Exum already has a shoe deal in his back pocket.

According to The Oregonian's Allan Brettman, the Australian draft prospect will partner with Adidas as he enters the NBA and carves out a brand for himself.

Brettman provided a bit of background info, some of which links Exum to the company, however loosely:

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[Exum] participated in the Adidas Nations program in 2011 and 2012, leading Australia to a fourth place finish in 2012. Exum grew up with strong basketball roots, his father Cecil Exum was a member of the 1982 University of North Carolina NCAA National Championship team before playing professional basketball in Australia.

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Exum sounded pleased with the deal, according to Adidas' press release: "I’m really excited to join the Adidas family. I’ve had the opportunity to play in Adidas Nations in the past and I’ve always liked their shoes and gear. I look forward to what’s to come for me and Adidas."

That sounds like the kind of pedigree that will fit Adidas just fine. The company recently re-signed point guard Damian Lillard to a big endorsement deal, so it's proving to have its finger on the pulse of the league's best young talent.

NBC Sports' Kurt Helin examines the move from Adidas' perspective: 

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Adidas is betting on him working out...The book on Exum is that he can create shots and has great athleticism, there’s a lot of potential, but his jump shot needs considerable work. He’s a bit of a project. If that project  pans out, adidas will have made a smart gamble. Either way it might have been smart to be in on the ground floor.

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Exum will look to follow in Lillard's footsteps in more ways than one. Beyond the corporate symmetry, he could learn a lot from Lillard's game.

The 6'6" combo guard is primed to become one of the top picks in this summer's draft, perhaps a top-five talent by some estimates. After the success of the similarly lengthy Michael Carter-Williams this season, Exum's stock may grow even more.