Puma is loading its endorsement roster with the signings of two up-and-coming guys from the Miami Heat. Derrick Jones Jr. got the deal a day after winning the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest and Kendrick Nunn followed suit in a couple of hours.
Nick DePaula of ESPN broke the news on Twitter.
The move could be an added confidence boost for the pair as they aim to continue helping the Heat become a certified force in the Eastern Conference. Jones is bound to receive a good uptick in his playing time with a dunking crown under his belt. The high-flying forward is in his third season with the team and has been compiling career-bests of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in just 24.7 minutes of play. An improving outside shot, which puts him at 28 threes (also a career-high) in 40 games this season, is also getting more noticeable at every outing.
Nunn, meanwhile, is turning heads with his play. The sensational undrafted rookie continuously made noise, beginning in the Summer League and then in the pre-season, and kept his foot in the gas as he earned a spot in Miami’s starting line-up. He opened the 2019-20 season by recording 20 or more points in his first 12 games, and though he has slowed down since, he’s just behind All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and veteran Goran Dragic in scoring at 15.3 PPG.
The Heat are currently fourth in the East at 35-19, while their 22-3 record at home is second overall. They return from the All-Star break Friday when they look to sweep the season series against the visiting Atlanta Hawks. Nunn came up huge in their most recent meeting as he scored a game-high 36 points.
