DJ Wagner featured in promotion for NOCTA, Drake’s Nike sub-label

DJ Wagner has partnered with Drake — rap superstar and Kentucky superfan — and his Nike sub-label, NOCTA.

The brand’s basketball collection was announced Wednesday, with the five-star guard among the key players featured in the unveiling.

.@Drake's @Nike sub-label @OfficialNocta is launching a basketball collection that includes equipment, apparel, and accessories 🔱

2023 five-star guard DJ Wagner is featured in the campaign.

(via @ComplexStyle) pic.twitter.com/X7uIDmTvd2

— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) July 20, 2022

The new collection features engineered-knit jerseys, compression tights, arm sleeves, headbands, socks and more. NOCTA’s complete basketball collection will be available starting July 27, with prices ranging from $12 to $120 on the NOCTA and Nike sites.

What does this mean for Wagner, Kentucky’s prized recruiting target in the class of 2023? It’s hard to ignore the partnership with a Nike brand, one affiliated with Kentucky fan Drake no less. He’s already playing on the Nike EYBL circuit with the New Jersey Scholars, competing this week in North Augusta for a Peach Jam title.

Kentucky’s top competition for Wagner? Louisville, who is sponsored by Adidas.

As we come down the home stretch of the five-star guard’s recruitment, it’s rather significant he’s agreeing to new partnerships with Nike brands. And to take it a step further, he’s the only high-profile basketball recruit prominently and individually featured in the advertisement.

Wagner is rated as the No. 2 overall recruit and No. 1 combo guard in the class of 2023. Kentucky looks to add the 6-foot-3 standout and pair him with fellow five-star guard Rob Dillingham in the backcourt.

For Dillingham, he’s looking to form a ”dream team” that includes Wagner, among other top recruits.

“The dream team would definitely be DJ (Wagner), Justin (Edwards), Aaron (Bradshaw), maybe a few more people. We already know Reed (Sheppard) is there,” Dillingham told KSR this week at Peach Jam. “Honestly not a super team, but a team that can win a national championship because Kentucky hasn’t won it in a minute. That’s what I hope to bring there, that’s my goal.”

Could Wagner’s partnership with NOCTA be a step closer toward that goal?