Top 5 NBA players who have had major deals with Puma

Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings wears a pair of Puma shoes prior to the start of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on February 01, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Puma used to be the preferred shoe brand for NBA basketball during the time of Walt Clyde Frazier but they had since fallen off the pecking order. However, they started making their way back in 2018 with the signings of several NBA players under their belts.

Even with Nike as top dog and Adidas and Under Armour trying to chip away at the stronghold, Puma entered the fray in 2018, signing four NBA rookies to sponsorship deals on.forbes.com/6016EJIII https://t.co/D6qPTvWIZn

Making a comeback to the NBA with their first basketball sneaker after 20 years it was only right that they named the sneaker, The Disrupt. In a bid to stage a massive comeback, Puma signed five of the first 16 picks in the 2018 NBA Draft, including the top two picks.

Let's take a dive at the top five NBA players who have had a major Puma deal.

Five NBA Players who have had major deals with Puma

#5 Deandre Ayton

Detail of Puma shoes worn by Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 17, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated defeated the Mavericks 121-100.

Deandre Ayton signed a four-year, multi-million dollar deal with Puma's footwear and apparel in 2018. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft with the Phoenix Suns was assigned a signature sneaker, the Puma Clyde Court Disrupt.

The Pac 12 Player of the Year award recipient joins a list of young players signed by Puma in 2018, including Marvin Bagley III from the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks' R.J. Barrett and Kevin Knox, Philadelphia 76ers' Zhaire Smith, Micheal Porter Jr from Denver Nuggets, and Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets.

#4 DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins #15 of the Houston Rockets in action against the Miami Heat during a game at the Toyota Center on February 11, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

DeMarcus Cousins joined Puma in 2018 on a multi-year deal that positioned him as the new leader of the Puma NBA players roster. His signature sneakers are the Puma Clyde Court PE and Puma Uproar.

Warriors All-Star DeMarcus Cousins’ multi-year shoe deal with Puma is now official, as Nike has officially declined to exercise its match rights, according to a brand source.

Cousins immediately becomes most accomplished NBA player signed to Puma and current face of the brand. https://t.co/UDKHM8wleq

The four-time NBA All-Star, popularly known as Boogie, joined the Puma roster, which had only earlier signed five rookies in the same year.