Ball: "I believe the brand is the perfect partner for me because Puma will allow me to just be myself. I want to be 100 percent authentic."
Potential No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball has signed a multi-year shoe deal with Puma in advance of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball, 19, will join fellow former first-round picks R.J. Barrett, Michael Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma with the brand. He previously launched his first signature shoe, the MB1, with Big Baller Brand in 2017.
"I am really excited to be joining the Puma family," Ball said on Wednesday, per ESPN's Nick DePaula. "I believe the brand is the perfect partner for me because Puma will allow me to just be myself. I want to be 100 percent authentic, whether that's playing basketball or showing off my personal style, and that's what I want to do with Puma."
Ball most recently played for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australia-based National Basketball League. He won the NBL's Rookie of the Year award after averaging 17 points and 6.8 assists per game.
Ball is currently the No. 2 player on Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo's latest Big Board. The Timberwolves have the No. 1 pick in the draft on Nov. 18, followed by the Warriors and Hornets.