Puma Making Kyle Kuzma the Face of Their Company is a Really Strange Move

While brands such as Nike and Jordan are tabbing the likes of Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo to represent their sneakers, Puma has made none other than Kyle Kuzma the face of their brand for the next half-decade.

Is that...is that the most Puma thing you've ever heard, or what?

First, there's a huge chance that Kuzma won't even start for the Lakers this year. While he'll be a solid sixth man for the Lake Show, picking up a lot of minutes off the bench, how is a brand as large as Puma going to ink a sixth man to a five-year endorsement deal and make him one of the faces of the company? Wouldn't waiting for one of their various big-city rookies to blossom be more prudent?

Unless LeBron James, Anthony Davis or Dwight Howard suffer an injury, it'll be difficult for Kuz to warrant a regular starting spot in Frank Vogel's lineup.

Second, Puma already has Deandre Ayton as the face of the brand. Ayton has already surpassed Kuzma in terms of stardom after his rookie season, as many consider him to be one of the best centers in the NBA at such a young age. Not to mention Marvin Bagley, RJ Barrett...young centerpieces. Not sidekicks.

Meanwhile, Kuzma's a solid role player, but he's no star, and he won't be able to develop into one with a crowded Lakers frontcourt.

If Puma felt this inclined to offer a player of Kuzma's caliber such a lucrative shoe deal, they might want to work on updating their profile, or else they'll never solidify their place in an already-crowded sneaker industry.

It also doesn't help that what we've seen thus far from Kuzma and Puma looks pretty atrocious. Let's hope that the sneakers see an improvement in the future.