10 NBA Rising Stars Destined for Signature Sneakers

NBA All-Star Weekend is an event unlike any other. The biggest NBA stars, both past and present, hip-hop artists, actors, gold diggers and baby mothers all descend on a city for a weekend full of debauchery and basketball. Amidst all the bottle-popping though, is the chance to catch a new generation of superstars having their breakout moment. And the next era of NBA stars will be on full display during tonight’s Rising Stars Challenge.

Nearly every player partaking in Friday night's festivities already has a sneaker deal with a major brand. And while it’s impossible to tell who'll get a signature sneaker first, each of these young stars is on the cusp of getting his own personal shoe thanks to their talent, season-to-season improvement, mass appeal, and marketability. These guys are the next big thing in the NBA and big-time sneaker execs are surely planning to build lines around each of them in the coming years. Here are 10 NBA Rising Stars Destined for Signature Sneakers.

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Team: Golden State Warriors
Current Shoe Company: adidas

Harrison Barnes will be busy this weekend as he's set to participate in both Friday night's game and Saturday's slam dunk contest. Barnes, who's signed to adidas, has worn the adidas Rose 773, Crazy Fast 2. Crazy Shadow and Crazy 1 this year. The Warriors have one of the most rabid fanbases in the NBA and while Barnes has yet to reach his full potential, his popularity will only grow as his role expands within the team.

Team: Washington Wizards
Current Shoe Company: Nike

A smooth-shooting guard out of St. Louis, Beal has been rocking Nike since he entered the league after being drafted third overall by the Washington Wizards in 2012. Beal has been seen wearing the hottest kicks on the market including "Gold Medal" Kobe VIIs, the KD IVs, "Olympic" Air Jordan VIs and KD Vs. The list goes on and on and on. Beal's impressive Nike collection may soon be thrown to the wayside for a new sneaker of his own if he keeps posting numbers like the ones he has so far this season.

Team: Orlando Magic
Current Shoe Company: Jordan Brand

Drafted number two overall in the 2013 Draft, Victor Oladipo has wowed Magic fans with his athleticism and above-the-rim style of play. The talented two-guard was sought out by Jordan Brand, and for a guy who was known for preferring Jordans off the court during his time at Indiana, the decision to sign with the sneaker juggernaut was a no-brainer.

Oladipo has shied away from wearing retro Jordans during game play, instead favoring various player editions of the Air Jordan XX8 SE. As of late, Jordan has been signing more and more explosive guards like Oladipo and with his fan-friendly game, it's only a matter of time before Jordan outfits the rookie with a sneaker—or at least PEs—of his own.

Team: Utah Jazz
Current Shoe Company: Nike

While his rookie season got off to a slow start thanks to a broken finger, Trey Burke has gotten back on track and recently won Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January. Burke, who wore adidas during his time at Michigan, signed with Nike after being drafted ninth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves (he was traded to the Utah Jazz on draft night) and has been seen oncourt wearing different ID versions of the Kobe 8. After being one of the most popular players in college hoops last season, Burke carried a strong fanbase with him from Michigan to the big leagues. John Stockton may have never gotten a signature sneaker during his prestigious career, but as the next great Jazz point guard, Burke has the chance to hit big shots in his own signature kicks.

Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Current Shoe Company: Nike

One of the pleasant surprises of the first half of the NBA season has been Sixers' rookie Michael Carter-Williams. MCW was seldom talked about in the offseason, but after an opening night stat line of 22 points, 12 assists, 7 boards, and 9 steals in a win against the defending champs, Carter-Williams shattered all misconceptions about whether he belongs.

Carter-Williams has been keeping a solid rotation of Nikes this season including the Kobe 8, the Zoom HyperRev, and the Hyper Quickness. As the Sixers emerge as a young, explosive, and entertaining team, look for Carter-Williams to get a lot more attention from fans and sneaker brands.

Team: New York Knicks
Current Shoe Company: adidas

Tim Hardaway, Jr. was one of seven rookies to sign with adidas following the 2013 NBA Draft and has been seen rocking different adidas looks like the Crazy Light 3, Crazy 8, Crazy Ghost 2, and the DRose 3 Low. Hardaway, Jr. still has a lot left to prove on the court before a signature sneaker is on his feet, but playing in a massive market like New York will certainly be attractive to adidas if the young player continues to develop and thrive.

Though his father used to torture the Knicks with his amazing crossover move and knack for hitting backbreaking shots, Hardaway, Jr. has found a home on Broadway and has quickly become a favorite amongst the Garden faithful. He's thrust himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation and with the threat of Melo leaving in the offseason, the former Michigan Wolverine may soon be the face of the franchise.

Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Current Shoe Company: Nike

The Bucks are awful, but that hasn't stopped Giannis Antetkounmpo from becoming one of the biggest stories in the NBA this season. Hailing from Greece, the 19-year old "Greek Freak" is taking the league by storm. Quickly becoming a media darling, the teenaged phenom has a chance to breakout and show his sneaker spokesperson skills this weekend. Giannis has been wearing the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse throughout his rookie deal and hasn't strayed too far from the look. With international appeal, Giannis has the potential to be a major player in the sneaker world, so credit Nike for having the vision and forward thinking to sign the rookie to an endorsement deal following draft night.

Team: Detroit Pistons
Current Shoe Company: Free Agent

It's likely only a matter of time before Andre Drummond is considered the best center in the league, and being the best player at his position also means a signature sneaker is on the way. Drummond has been stringing together double-doubles and throwing down ferocious dunks with ease night after night for the Pistons.

After breaking off his deal with adidas following his rookie year, Drummond has been seen oncourt in Jordan Xs, XIVs, IIIs, XIIs, and pretty much every retro Jordan you can imagine. The big man will be highly sought-after as a sizable contract and signature sneaker loom.

Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Current Shoe Company: Nike

Davis quickly inked a deal with Nike after being drafted number one overall in the 2012 NBA Draft and now it seems it's not a matter of if Davis will get his own signature sneaker, but when?

Davis has recently been seen in Foot Locker commercials and it appears as his marketability is starting to burgeon. With his unibrow already copyrighted, expect the look to be factored into his brand going forward. During his short time in the NBA, Davis has primarily balled in different PE versions of the Nike Air Max Hyperposite. The big man is on the verge of becoming the first player since Shaq in 1999-'00 to average 20 points, 10 boards, and 3 blocks in a season and could join David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon as just the third player in league history to average 20 points, 10 boards, 3 blocks, and 1.5 steals in a season. He'll also be playing in the big game on Sunday.

Team: Portland Trailblazers
Current Shoe Company: adidas

Just like Anthony Davis, it's not a matter of if adidas will release a signature sneaker for Damian Lillard, but when. The Portland Trailblazer shocked the basketball world by tearing through the NBA and running away with the Rookie of the Year award last season. Lillard followed up that performance with a tremendous first half to the 2013-14 season and has led the upstart Blazers to an impressive 36-18 record.

This weekend, Lillard will be the first player ever to compete in five All-Star Weekend competitions, and has the chance to become the next breakout star with a standout performance—much like Kyrie Irving did last season. Lillard has worn a variety of adidas sneakers including a PE version of the Crazy 8, and the D Rose 4. Adidas has built a strong roster of young future stars and Lillard is quickly emerging as the new face of the brand.