Upper Deck signs top NBA pick Ben Simmons to exclusive deal

By Stephen Laroche | Beckett Basketball Editor

Ben Simmons, the first overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Upper Deck which covers both trading cards and autographed memorabilia.

“We are pleased to welcome Ben Simmons to Upper Deck’s world-renowned roster of NBA greats and look forward to providing his fans around the world with the most innovative and authentic collectibles available on the market,” said Upper Deck’s President, Jason Masherah, via a press release on the company’s website.

The first Upper Deck trading cards of Simmons are set to be released in 2016 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions and the product will include hard-signed autographs. In the meantime, the first piece of signed memorabilia to be released is a limited edition photo which pays tribute to the Louisiana State University alum being selected first by the Philadelphia 76ers. Anticipated items slated to come out soon via the company’s online store include signed jerseys and basketballs along with a “Renaissance Man” print that celebrates his collegiate career.

A native of Australia, Simmons was a dominant high school player before joining LSU last season and averaging 19.2 points per game. He was a First Team All-American and was named both SEC and USBWA National Freshman of the Year.

Simmons joins Michael Jordan and LeBron James as an exclusive signer for Upper Deck. This deal will have an interesting impact on his first NBA trading cards which come out from Panini America this fall as they will not be able to feature his signature.