October often marks the end of sneaker contracts to align with the start of the new NBA season. This year has been relatively quiet on the sneaker free agent front, but Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton just became the first to make a splash. In a surprising move, the gold medalist has signed a deal with Puma. Haliburton has developed a reputation for his love for Nike Kobe Protros and often received special PE (player edition) colorways. The 2-time All-Star slid out of the top 10 in the 2020 draft, so this stage is likely his best time to cash out on a bigger sneaker deal.
Haliburton went viral after wearing Prada dress shoes during last week’s Media Day shoot, hinting at his time with the Swoosh being over. The 24-year-old is often meme’d for his attention-grabbing pregame outfits, adding another personality to Puma’s basketball roster that includes LaMelo Ball and Scoot Henderson. Haliburton is expected to play in the Puma All-Pro NITRO this season.