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When most players find out they have been traded to a new team or sign with said new squad, they say something along the lines of how excited they are to get their hands on a ‘chip. It would appear Anthony Davis took this in a very literal direction as he prepares to start his Los Angeles Lakers career.
Davis has reportedly inked an endorsement deal with Ruffles Potato Chips, according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
“The center/power forward will serve as a ‘creative partner’ to Ruffles as it develops new products. He even helped design a custom-made, limited edition signature shoe called ‘The Ruffles Ridge Tops,’ with The Shoe Surgeon in Los Angeles.
“The Ruffles brand is all about ‘owning your ridges’ and AD personifies that bold, unapologetic individuality,’ said Sadira Furlow, vice president of marketing for Frito-Lay North America, in an interview with Front Office Sports.”
Now, if it turns out this endorsement deal is worth the $4 million and change Davis might give up by waiving his trade kicker (which is considered unlikely as of right now, by the way), then this entire story becomes outright and objectively hilarious.
At the very least, maybe this is worth $2 million with the additional money he might leave behind if he waives the kicker made up by his appearance fee on “Space Jam 2.” Just thinking out loud over here.
Now, again, Davis is expected to keep the $4 million and change he’d stand to make for being traded, but it might not matter if the Lakers are able to somehow include Moe Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones in the deal they’re still working on with New Orleans for Davis. That’s still being monitored, though obviously.
Davis’ deal with Ruffles is fun and might very well have been worked on while he was still a Pelican. If not, though, this is further evidence as to why NBA players try to make their way to large markets and, in some cases, specifically to the Lakers. And, as you can see here, the added earning potential appears to be a real thing.
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