Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith explains his adjustment from college power forward to NBA shooting guard.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith has had to battle a lot of adversity through his first two seasons in the NBA. From a tough rookie season where he only played six games due to a Jones fracture and then an allergic reaction followed by a second season where he was jumped in the rotation by rookie Matisse Thybulle and sent to the G League, one can understand why his development has been slow.
One also has to consider the fact that Smith actually played power forward in college with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Yes, the 6-foot-3 jumping jack was battling with the big men down low before having to transition to shooting guard at the NBA level. So, in order to prepare to play the 2-guard spot, he watched a lot of guards to learn how to play the position when he jumped on The Bell Ringer Podcast hosted by Sixers Wire.
“I study film of all players in the NBA. Present and past,” said Smith. “I like watching present highlights so I watch Kobe (Bryant) highlights and just underrated players like John Starks and just old school players.”
This is all so new to him for a kid as young as he is. He had to watch those aforementioned players and have them teach him how to really play the shooting guard position at the highest level of basketball.
“At Tech, I was playing the 4 and when I decided to enter my name in the draft and stay in the draft, I immediately got on my ball-handling real quick,” he explained. “The G League helped with that. I got tons of reps in and I just feel like I’m continuing to progress and getting better at it playing only two years of guard.”
That is why it is taking Smith some time to really claim a spot in the team’s rotation. Not only did he essentially lose a year due to the adversity thrown at him as a rookie, but he also had to learn an entirely new position and that is why he has to grind harder than everybody else.
“First, coming out of Tech, having to transition to a guard, then I got hurt so I had to bounce back, it’s just a lot of adversity,” he added. “But I’m still grinding and continuing to get better so it’s all a matter of time.”
Smith has played seven games with the Sixers in 2019-20 and has played 33 games for the Delaware Blue Coats where he has averaged 13.5 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 37.6% from deep and 53.0% from the floor overall. The grind will never stop for the young 20-year old and he is learning that by watching Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance”.
Smith on what he has learned from watching that: “Just keep grinding by all means necessary.” [lawrence-related id=30295,30301,30286]
The Bell Ringer Podcast welcomes Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith to discuss his NBA journey and his time in quarantine.
The Bell Ringer returns with special guest Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith as he joins Ky Carlin and Cameron Fields to discuss what quarantine has been like for him and how he has been able to work out. Smith, who spent the majority of his season in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats, had his season cut short due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Smith discusses his favorite video games, his thoughts when the team drafted Matisse Thybulle, and his time in Delaware under coach Connor Johnson compared to Brett Brown. He also discusses the advice he has received from veterans such as Josh Richardson. Ky and Cam also get into Drake’s new mixtape, Dark Lane Demo Tapes, while also getting into the NBA’s Disney World Resorts idea.
As always leave your thoughts with us on Twitter and we thank you for listening. We are now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify as well so make sure you check out past episodes! We will continue to add new episodes whenever we can and when basketball does eventually return, we will ramp up our efforts to bring you basketball content. [lawrence-related id=30295,30301,30286]
HoopsHype’s new series gives an inside look at shoe deals, with part one focusing on the three different tiers of sneaker deals.
This is part one of a four-part series that gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at shoe deals and the sneaker-free-agency process, with insight from various NBA agents, sneaker executives and industry experts.
Today’s NBA players are earning tremendous sums of money from their respective teams, but that’s not their only revenue stream. Many players also get a substantial paycheck from their sneaker deal (and other endorsements). In some cases, that’s where players are earning their biggest paycheck.
“There are some players who make more money from their sneaker deal than their NBA contract,” one NBA agent said, pointing to examples like Derrick Rose (who makes more from adidas than the Pistons) and Kyle Kuzma (who makes more from PUMA than the Lakers).
HoopsHype’s new four-part series delves into the sneaker business. First, we’ll focus on the different types of shoe deals. There are three tiers: signature deals, cash deals and merch deals. Here’s a breakdown of each type of deal:
SIGNATURE DEALS
These are for the league’s biggest stars, as there are only 17 players who currently have a signature shoe. These individuals either have their own sneaker or one in development (since the process takes 16-to-24 months). According to ESPN sneaker expert Nick DePaula, signature deals typically pay players a base salary between $5 million and $15 million per year (depending on the player) plus bonuses from a wide variety of incentives.
These players typically get a five-percent royalty on all of their footwear and apparel sales (although the percentage is negotiable). Players also get a product allowance, which determines how much free gear they will receive. When a player has a signature shoe, there’s constant communication with the sneaker company to go over ideas, colorways, samples, etcetera.
DePaula notes that the biggest stars (like LeBron James) often have multiple models that are released each year and these models all have different technology, price points and distribution. When you consider that James earns a large base salary, bonuses from incentives and royalties from all of his models and apparel, it’s clear that he’s getting some big paychecks from Nike.
Despite the fact that there are just 17 players with their own signature shoe, 65 percent of the NBA wears a signature sneaker model of some sort, according to DePaula.
“So many players around the league are wearing Kyries or Kobes or another signature shoe,” he said. “There are about 20 players who are currently wearing adidas’ Dame 4s. When you have a signature shoe, not only are you wearing it, many people around the league wear it and give visibility to your name.”
CASH DEALS
There are roughly 70-to-100 players around the NBA who are on a cash deal. These players can make anywhere from $200,000-to-$300,000 per year on the low end and $2 million-to-$3 million per year on the high end, per DePaula. They have a base salary, a wide variety of incentives and a product allowance (that allows them to order gear for free).
These are players who are notable enough to pique the interest of a shoe company, but they aren’t deemed marketable enough for their own signature shoe. However, many of these players do have PE (player exclusive) sneakers. Bradley Beal is an example of a player on a cash deal since he’s an All-Star-caliber player and Nike gives him PEs with his own logo and custom colorways.
Every brand is different, but Nike typically rewards All-Star players and top picks (such as Ben Simmons) with PEs. Jordan Brand gives players a PE of their favorite Jordan model when they sign with the company, and any Jordan Brand player who wins a championship receives PEs with gold accents.
“Jordan Brand is different because they only have 31 or 32 players. It’s an elite group… and everyone on the Hornets,” DePaula said with a laugh.
“The bigger the star, the more elaborate the contract and the negotiations are,” former NBA agent Matt Babcock explained. “The shoe company will likely demand a lot more from a star player in return for the lucrative contract. For a star (on a signature deal), some common terms that would need to be negotiated are the number of appearances, commercials and offseason tours. For a role player (on a cash deal), it wouldn’t be as elaborate, although there are some similarities like incentives.”
Some players turn down cash deals because they would rather be a sneaker free agent since that allows them to wear different brands throughout the year. Gilbert Arenas may be the most notable example of this. After parting ways with adidas, he spent the 2010-11 season embracing his sneaker free agency and wearing a ton of different brands (even rocking a pair of Dolce & Gabbana high-tops at one point).
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
MERCH DEALS
Most of the NBA is on a merch deal, which means the player isn’t getting paid to wear the sneakers, but they do get a product allowance. These players are typically end-of-bench guys or big men (because there’s a commonly held belief in the sneaker industry that big men can’t sell shoes, which we’ll get to later in this series).
Not only does a merch-deal player get free product to wear during games, these players often get a product allowance as well. They basically get store credit and can order anything they want online (from sneakers to clothes to women’s and children’s apparel for their family).
Most players on a merch deal have a $25,000 product allowance, but that amount is negotiable. Each year, players must spend their allowance by September 30 and the money doesn’t roll over to the following season.
When players have funds remaining as September 30 approaches, they’ll either add a friend or relative to their account or find ways to give back. Some players order jerseys and shoes for their old high school or AAU team while others order gear to give away at their summer basketball camp.
“Look at it this way: If you’re a max player, you’re trying to get a signature deal. If you’re a mid-level player, you’re likely going to get a cash deal,” NBA agent Roger Montgomery said. “And if you’re a minimum player, you’re just going to get free product.”
Every NBA team has a storage room either at their arena or facility where they have a bunch of shoes in their team’s colors that brands send them. For players who don’t have any shoe deal, their team’s equipment manager will typically provide them with free shoes from this room.
ROOKIE DEALS VS. VETERAN DEALS
It’s worth noting that there’s a difference between a player’s first shoe deal when they enter the NBA (their rookie deal) and when they’re a veteran who goes through sneaker free agency.
Most rookie deals are finalized shortly after the NBA draft because the shoe companies want to see when a prospect is drafted and which market the player lands in before committing to them. Rookie deals are typically four-to-five years long and players can earn big money if they’re a top pick (especially if they’re in a large market like Los Angeles or New York).
“With a rookie, you just don’t know how they’re going to turn out,” said AND1’s head of sports marketing Dexter Gordon. “That’s why a lot of times, when an agent has a lottery pick, they try to hurry up and lock in a sneaker deal. I have to decide whether to put my money on a rookie with a lot of upside when I don’t know what’s going to happen or go with a veteran who has proven himself and is a bit safer because I’ve seen them play in the league.”
Some prospects bet on themselves and wait until they take the court to sign a shoe deal. Damian Lillard waited until after he played at the Vegas Summer League to sign his first shoe deal, which was a risky move. However, Lillard was named the co-MVP of the tournament after averaging 26.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds, and his patience paid off when he inked a lucrative rookie deal with adidas.
The biggest difference between rookie deals and veteran deals is that the former is all about projecting a prospect’s upside and marketability (like NBA teams do in the draft) and the latter is about evaluating a proven commodity (like NBA teams do in free agency). And unless a top pick develops into a star, they will likely earn less money on their second sneaker contract.
“I think the second deal is often more of a rude awakening for guys rather than a raise,” DePaula said. “Top prospects get paid a lot and then some of those deals look bad very quickly. There’s one rookie who was a top pick in recent years and he got $2 million per year, but months into his NBA career, the company was realizing, ‘This deal isn’t going to work out.’ That player will most likely get a merch deal when his deal is up. Rookie deals are kind of a crapshoot.”
In 2018, PUMA thought they hit a home-run by signing the draft’s No. 1 pick (Deandre Ayton), the No. 2 pick (Marvin Bagley), the No. 9 pick (Kevin Knox), the No. 14 pick (Michael Porter Jr.) and the No. 16 pick (Zhaire Smith). Now, that group feels relatively underwhelming, especially since PUMA missed on the up-and-coming stars from that class: Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Be sure to check back later this week for part two of this series, which looks at what exactly has to be negotiated in sneaker deals and the many incentives that are included in shoe contracts.
We take a look at the 10 Philadelphia 76ers who participated in March Madness.
With Selection Sunday right around the corner, everybody in the basketball world is getting ready for the phenomenon that is the NCAA Tournament also known as March Madness.
This time can be a time of reminiscing for a lot of NBA players. There are plenty of guys on the Philadelphia 76ers who have had their moments in the Tournament and we’re going to take a look back at all of them right now.
There are exactly 10 Sixers who competed in March Madness and we’ll start with a guy who is currently the team’s highest-paid player
Tobias Harris, Tennessee 2011
Harris played in only one game in the NCAA Tournament with the Tennessee Volunteers way back in 2011. His Vols faced off against the Michigan Wolverines and it did not go well at all. Harris played well scoring 19 points and getting to the foul line seven times, but he was the only player to score double-figures for Tennessee and it was a 75-45 loss in Round 1. Harris was then selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the draft.
Philadelphia 76ers prospect Zhaire Smith details his development process with the Delaware Blue Coats.
Young Philadelphia 76ers forward Zhaire Smith has had a rough go at it in the early stages of his NBA career. After being selected 16th and acquired by the Sixers on draft night in 2018, he has had a lot of hardships to handle.
He missed all but six games in his rookie season after a Jones fracture and an allergic reaction and then the Sixers selected Matisse Thybulle in the 2019 draft. All of that almost assured him a spot in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats despite his hopes and wishes to be in the team’s rotation.
Despite all of that, he understands what he needs to do in order to succeed and that is to work hard in the G League with coach Connor Johnson and he will soon get his chance with the Sixers.
“I think he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he sees the long view of what it takes and how crowded it is up there,” said Johnson. “I think he’s had a good resurgence here lately. There was a month in the middle of the season where he played one game with us and then went up there and played a little bit and it took him a little bit to get his feet back under himself here to the degree where he is making shots like he did in the last couple games and getting to the rim.”
In his second season in the league, Smith has played almost all of it in Delaware with seven games up in Philadelphia. He just finished a game on Sunday where he scored 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting in the Blue Coats loss to the Lakeland Magic.
“It’s just been a process,” Smith said. “This is only my second year playing at the 2 guard so I’m just growing in development and watching a lot of film and seeing where I’m making mistakes and learning from them.”
That is something a lot of people don’t know about Smith. He played power forward and center at Texas Tech so this is only the second year he is playing out on the perimeter. This is all a huge adjustment for the 6-foot-3 prospect and that is why this will be a long view type of approach.
“Growing up, I was a 4,” he explained. “So getting used to that guard [spot]. It’s all good for me and I’m just blessed to be in this situation. I never saw this coming. To play the 4 in college and have the opportunity of coming into the league and develop, you can’t ask for nothing better.”
After getting off to a rough start to the season, Smith has picked it up and he has the vote of confidence from Johnson who is an extension of coach Brett Brown from Philadelphia.
“I think he’s shooting it at a high rate,” Johnson added. “Before he took that month off, he was shooting 40%. The first two games he went like 1-for-7 and 1-for-5 and if you got rid of those, his numbers have been really good. Every game at low volume, he shoots a high percentage and that’s exactly the stuff that’s going to translate.” [lawrence-related id=27339,27330,27310]
Young Philadelphia 76ers prospects Marial Shayok and Zhaire Smith have impressive offensive games.
The current version of the Philadelphia 76ers are going through one of the more up and down seasons in their recent history, but the future Sixers put on a show on Sunday.
Prospects Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok led the Delaware Blue Coats into battle against the Lakeland Magic from the 76ers Fieldhouse in Delaware and they played well. Shayok scored 26 points with seven rebounds and seven assists and Smith had 24 points in a 129-116 loss to Lakeland.
Shayok drilled three triples as he continues to show off an advanced offensive game that should be able to translate at the NBA level. His shooting ability should eventually play into any future plans for the Sixers. He also has shown off an ability to make reads off the ball and make cuts to the basket.
Smith had an efficient game to score his points as he shot 10-for-12 and he also drilled two from deep. He continues to show off an improvement in his game that should help him in the long run.
Before the game, the Blue Coats did say that the plan is to send both players to Philadelphia once the G League season ends. Their continued development in Delaware plus the upcoming experience with the Sixers should help them when the 2020-21 season begins. [lawrence-related id=27339,27310,27300]
The Delaware Blue Coats say the plan is to have Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok join the Philadelphia 76ers.
As the Philadelphia 76ers continue on with their season after a tough 1-3 California road trip, their younger guys could be on the way up soon.
Second-year man Zhaire Smith and rookie Marial Shayok are two of the better prospects in the team’s system and they have spent the majority of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. However, they are all set to join the Sixers once the G League season ends.
“They will both go up,” said Blue Coats coach Connor Johnson. “They will reintegrate with the team and I think that will be good.”
Shayok has averaged 22.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 33 games in Delaware while Smith is averaging 13.2 points and 3.3 rebounds as he continues his rehab.
A lot of eyes are on Smith who was a first-round pick of the Sixers in the 2018 draft, but injuries and an allergic reaction have derailed him a bit. Now, with Delaware, he can get himself together and eventually rejoin the Sixers.
“Here, it’s all about getting all the experience you can about playing,” Johnson added. “He played something like 35 minutes last night, we’ve got a back-to-back here where they’ll play a ton again, and then it’s getting back with the team and understanding where he fits in there and what he’s got to work on and improve. For the postseason or really for next year as well.”
Blue Coats coach Connor Johnson says the plan is for Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok to join Philly when the season ends #Sixers
The Blue Coats host the Lakeland Magic at 2:00 p.m. EST from the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington. This is another opportunity for both players to prove themselves. [lawrence-related id=27310,27300,27291]
Philadelphia 76ers prospect Zhaire Smith continues to show some progress with the Delaware Blue Coats.
The Philadelphia 76ers have bigger things to worry about right now as they embark on a 4-game west coast swing starting on Sunday, but one of their prospects down in the G League is beginning to show some progress.
Zhaire Smith, their first-round pick in the 2018 draft, has begun to show off some real signs of development for the Delaware Blue Coats. That was the plan all along with Smith in his second season as he continues to recover from a nightmare rookie season.
Smith had 16 points and six rebounds while shooting 7-for-16 from the floor in the team’s 125-106 loss to the Wisconsin Herd on Thursday. The offensive numbers are not eye-popping or anything, but he had a few big defensive plays individually and that should interest a lot of Sixers fans.
On top of that, he is beginning to get his athleticism back. The big hype around him when the Sixers drafted him was the fact that he was a good defender with Texas Tech and he was supremely athletic. Watch this as he goes up to get this lob to throw it down.
Smith does have NBA athleticism and it is little things like this that show that he can eventually earn a spot in an NBA rotation. He does have to continue to polish up his game though as that is the big concern with him, but that is what the G League is for. It is all about development and Smith, 20, will be given all the time that he needs. [lawrence-related id=26753,26743,26717]
Philadelphia 76ers prospect Zhaire Smith impressed for the Delaware Blue Coats.
While the Philadelphia 76ers were traveling to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks in a big matchup, one of their prospects in the G League was putting on a show.
Second-year man Zhaire Smith, who has been toiling with the Delaware Blue Coats for the majority of the season, put on a really solid performance in a 131-115 loss to the Canton Charge on Friday night. He had 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting and he knocked two shots from deep and he did not commit a turnover.
Smith needs to continue to develop his game in Delaware to eventually get a legitimate chance in the NBA. Smith had a clutch step-back triple that was a real NBA move. If he can do things like this on a regular basis, then he will get a chance soon.
In other Sixers prospect news, rookie Marial Shayok had 16 points, but he only shot 6-for-19 from the floor and he was 1-for-8 from deep. He did grab six rebounds and dish out five assists as well to add to his stat line.
Eventually, both Smith and Shayok will get their chances at the NBA level. They need to continue to develop and pay their dues down in Delaware. [lawrence-related id=26273,26265,26255]
It’s now time to evaluate the second season of Zhaire Smith’s career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This is the beginning of a new series by Sixers Wire to pass the time for everybody for the All-Star break. We’re going to take a look back at the 3 goals series from the offseason and see how each player has done in achieving those goals as well as give them a rating on how their season has gone. The rating will be based on a scale of 10 with 10 being how their season has gone based on the goals.
After a look at Marial Shayok’s and Norvel Pelle’s seasons, we now turn to Zhaire Smith. The second season for Smith has not been kind to him He lost a chance at a rotation spot due to the sudden emergence of rookie Matisse Thybulle and that has set him back a bit.
Smith’s 3 goals from the offseason were to earn a rotation spot, but that has not worked out for him:
Starting fast
Smith did not do so as he was sent down to the G League to begin the season with the Delaware Blue Coats while Thybulle was flourishing with the Sixers. On top of that, Smith was then outshined by another rookie in Shayok who has had a great season fro Delaware in his first season. It appears that Smith has a ton of work to do to reach the next level in his development.
Now that he is up with the Sixers, the challenge for Smith is to continue to try and learn new things the rest of the way. He needs to gather up all of the experiences and learn from them in order to come back stronger in the 2020-21 season and try again to earn a spit. Whether that is with the Sixers remains to be seen.
Getting defensive
Smith’s calling card coming out of college was his defense, but he has not been able to make an impact on that end of the floor yet in his NBA career. He has had flashes and has been able to show some potential, but it hasn’t been enough to keep things going in his favor. Even at the G League level, he has not been able to make a real impact.
Proving yourself
This is something Smith has struggled with. We don’t really know what he is yet and it’s deep into his second season in the league. Is he a 3-and-D player? Is he strictly defense? Is he a 3-point shooter? These are all questions that need to be answered. He still has time to answer all of those questions as he is still only 20-years old, but he might have to answer those questions with a different organization.
A comparison can be Markelle Fultz who is beginning to have a solid career with the Orlando Magic after a tough start in Philadelphia. Orlando is a small market and there isn’t as much pressure on Fultz as there was in Philly. Maybe Smith needs that type of small market to try and revive his career a little bit.
