Julian Strawther signs shoe deal with Nike

Nike cleaned up most of the top picks from last summer's NBA Draft, as the Swoosh continues the trend of signing highly-touted first-year pros to lucrative shoe contracts.

Former Gonzaga men's basketball star and Denver Nuggets wing Julian Strawther was among the 13 rookies to sign a shoe deal with Nike heading into the 2023-24 NBA season. The talented crop of young talent included San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, the Charlotte Hornets' Brandon Miller and twins Amen and Ausar Thompson. It's unknown what specific kicks Strawther will lace up when he makes his pro debut, as some rookies will reportedly wear the upcoming GT Cut 3, the GT Hustle and GT Jump models.

The 29th overall pick in the draft, Strawther impressed throughout the NBA preseason with the Nuggets. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 17.8 points, shot 21-for-47 (44.7%) from the field and went 14-for-31 (45.2%) from deep across four games. He had two 20-point outings including 23 and a highlight block against the Chicago Bulls last week. 

Arguably more impressive from Strawther, though, is the maturity he shows while playing mistake-free basketball. While aggressively hunting for his spots with the Nuggets' second unit, he committed just two turnovers in 93 minutes of action. The Las Vegas native admitted playing in the NBA Summer League held in his hometown was cause for nerves, but that hasn't been apparent leading up to Denver's banner night Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It remains to be seen what Strawther's role and usage will be in the regular season, as the Nuggets look to run it back as NBA champions behind reigning finals MVP Nikola Jokic. A lucrative shoe deal with arguably the sports' biggest brand is a small step toward a bright future.