Get ready, basketball fans: the hotly anticipated NBA Draft tips-off tonight, with the first round taking center stage on ESPN and ABC at 8pm EST, brought to you by State Farm, a NBA league sponsor since 2010.

Teams are gearing up to make it an unforgettable evening for their loyal fans, in part by hosting draft parties with the support of dedicated sponsors. The Dallas Mavericks are partnering with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts to create an electric atmosphere for fans at the Echo Lounge in their hometown, and the San Antonio Spurs have teamed up with Ticketmaster to put on a show-stopping event. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic is joining forces with Starry Soda to add a refreshing twist to their watch party. According to our 2022-23 NBA Marketing Partnerships Report, PepsiCo’s fast-rising soft drink brand boasts the largest increase in sponsorship asset volume among both league and non-league partners from 2021 to 2022.

Victor Wembanyama, the 7’2” NBA draft prospect projected to be the top pick, currently holds a single endorsement deal with Nike. That could change literally overnight: the French-born phenom, widely considered one of the top players of his generation, will no doubt be fielding a veritable mountain of endorsement offers as he officially becomes the NBA’s newest potential superstar.

Rivaling Wembanyama in stature, Chet Holmgren recently took the endorsement world by storm, despite a season-ending injury before his NBA debut: in the past 12 months, the 2022 draft’s second overall pick added more brands to his portfolio than any other league player. Holmgren’s outstanding on-court potential mirrors his rising profile on social media, where he’s already ranked 14th among NBA athletes on TikTok. Will Wembanyama also take to TikTok (and other platforms) to grow his personal brand as his sponsorships skyrocket? Hopeful for a full, healthy season for both players, we expect Wembanyama to surpass Holmgren in deals as he quickly becomes one of the NBA’s top endorsers.

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