via Yahoo Sports

With a renewed emphasis on investing in NBA player endorsement deals, adidas has officially signed projected lottery picks Brandon Ingram, Kris Dunn, Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray and Dragan Bender to multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deals.

After partnering with the NBA as the league’s official outfitter for more than a decade, the company’s deal with the NBA will expire in the summer of 2017. The brand’s new strategy under basketball general manager Chris Grancio is to partner directly with the league’s top players and emerging stars by offering better deals than its competitors.

Signing Ingram and Dunn, two of the most explosive and dynamic players in Thursday’s draft, marks a major shift for adidas. Incoming players are expressing more interest in joining the brand than in years past, thanks largely to the momentum from adidas’ partnership with Kanye West, its Boost cushioning technology, and the lifestyle silhouettes from the adidas Originals category.

“Our playbook is simple – partner with the best players and use their insights to change the game and connect with young athletes,” Grancio said. “We’re proud to welcome them to our family and we look forward to getting started.”

The new batch of rookies will join James Harden, Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose and Andrew Wiggins as featured players at adidas, and will be incorporated into brand campaigns, shoe debuts and global tours throughout Europe and Asia.

Click here to read the full article via Yahoo Sports: Adidas signs five top prospects