This year’s Nike rookie class includes 14 players from the 2022 NBA Draft, including five drafted by lottery teams.
On Friday, Nike signed an abundance of NBA rookies to shoe deals, headlined by No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey, just days into the 2022-23 season. Below is the full 2022 Nike class, per Boardroom’s Nick DePaula:
Chet Holmgren: The 7-foot-1 multi-dimensional OKC big man will miss the entire season after he injured his foot in a summer Pro-Am game. Still, that didn’t hinder Nike’s decision to bring him on board. He was seen during the preseason wearing the Nike KD 15, which garnered the following response from the shoe’s namesake. Holmgren’s teammate, Josh Giddey, is also endorsed by The Swoosh.
Jaden Ivey: The No. 5 overall pick started alongside last year’s No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham — also a Nike athlete — for the Detroit Pistons in their season opener on Wednesday. Ivey, who signed an endorsement deal with Gatorade earlier this week, finished his NBA debut with 19 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
Shaedon Sharpe: The No. 7 overall pick delivered in his Association debut, recording 12 points in 16 minutes as the Trail Blazers defeated the Kings.
The Rest of the Class:
- Jalen Duren: No. 13 overall pick acquired by the Pistons on draft day.
- Ochai Agbaji: No. 14 overall pick with the Utah Jazz after Cleveland included him in the Donovan Mitchell trade.
- AJ Griffin: No. 16 overall pick with the Atlanta Hawks.
- Tari Eason: No. 17 overall pick with the Houston Rockets.
- David Roddy: No. 23 overall pick with the Memphis Grizzlies.
- Wendell Moore Jr.: No. 26 overall pick with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- Patrick Baldwin Jr.: No. 28 overall pick with the Golden State Warriors.
- TyTy Washington Jr.: No. 29 overall pick with the Rockets.
- Andrew Nembhard: No. 31 overall pick with the Indiana Pacers.
- Jaden Hardy: No. 37 overall pick with the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s been a pretty solid couple of weeks for Swoosh — Bronny James signed a NIL deal with Nike, and No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero signed with Nike’s Jordan Brand.
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