Prominent high school basketball players sign NIL deals with Nike; JuJu Watkins, Bronny James, D.J. Wagner highlight mega announcements

BENSALEM, Pa. – Three of the nation’s top high school basketball players from the Class of 2023 and two women’s student-athlete from the University of Iowa and Stanford University have entered Naming, Imaging and Licensing deals with a swoosh of the pen.

Nike announced on Twitter Monday afternoon that All America and Big Ten Conference women’s basketball player of the year Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Stanford’s Haley Jones plus high school hoopers Bronny James, D.J. Wagner and JuJu Watkins are the latest athletes to join the athletic shoe giant from Beaverton, Oregon.

James, a 6-foot-5 uncommitted guard from Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., is the son of NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer LeBron James. The elder James inked a deal with Nike in 2004 following a legendary prep career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.

Wagner, a 6-1 guard from Camden High School in New Jersey, averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.2 steals as a junior. Wagner was the consensus New Jersey state player of year in 2021-22 and was a member of the 2022 USA Men’s U17 National Team. He enters his senior year with 1,477 career points and the No. 1 senior by national ranking services. His father, Dujuan, played in the NBA; so did his grandfather, Milt, who earned an NBA World Championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers.

At 6-1, Watkins of Sierra Canyon is one of the nation’s top senior girls’ players and was named 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup Most Valuable Player and All-Star Five last summer. She helped the USA capture the gold medal at the World Cup. As a junior, Watkins was California’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

Clark is a junior at Iowa and Jones is a senior at Stanford. Jones helped the Cardinal capture the NCAA National Championship in 2021 and is a two-time All-America.

In a prepared statement, Nike said:

“At Nike, basketball is more than just a game. It’s a culture and an opportunity to break barriers, bring people together, build community and shape the future – helping people, including kids, achieve their potential.

“To serve the future of athletes and sport, Nike is teaming up with inspiring young athletes who are leading the way now – both on the court and in their communities. Just as we support them in pursuing their goals, they push us to think even bigger about the change we can create together.”