Devlin Carter pitches SIA Collective to Kyrie Irving and implies Nike made billions off of him while paying him a fraction

Kyrie Irving became a sneaker free agent last month after Nike dropped Irving and discontinued his eponymous signature shoe line.

There has been little reporting on which brands have reached out to Irving since. And with his eight-game suspension over a tweet containing a link to a documentary with antisemtic themes last month, it is more than likely brands wouldn't want to be attached to a controversial figure.

However, bucking the trend is Devlin Carter, founder of Somewhere In America, a burgeoning fashion brand.

In an interview with Etan Thomas of "The Rematch," Carter spoke at length about why he finds Kyrie Irving to be a perfect fit with SIA, and why Irving should possibly look to sign with them.

"Especially with somebody like Kyrie, he's a proven return on investment," Carter said. "He's the No. 2 signature athlete sneaker sales for Nike. I think LeBron (James) may be above him, but he's right there.

"He has his shoes at a cheaper price point. Plus, the kids love it. I think they said last year Nike paid him $11 million in his royalties from his shoe sales."

Carter also called out Nike for their split on shoe sales and player-earnings:

"So, like, for example, when I told his team, I said, 'Listen, if we can get a shoe at the price point of the same as Nike,and we sell one million shoes in the first year, you just made $160 million. That's more money than Nike has ever paid you.'"

He further added on the mentality that leads to NBA players accepting seemingly imprudent deals:

"So, the thing is, a lot of athletes, all they know is endorsement," Carter said. "Since they were in AAU, they've been given these shoes for free. So, they're already steered to think as an employee, rather than to think as a leader and as a business entity in yourself."

Kyrie Irving's sneaker prospects

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Nike's drop of Irving and halting the release of "Kyrie 8" came at a time when the former NBA champion's sneakers were suspected to have dropped in sales. However, Irving remains one of the most sought-after sneaker free agents, as his popularity with the younger demographic primarily drives his appeal.

While Nike is the leader in the sneaker market, many NBA players have formed their own formidable lines with other brands. The most notable example of this is Stephen Curry, who is partnered with Under Armour, which manufactures Curry's eponymous signature shoe line.

Other possible suitors could include James Harden, Damian Lillard and Trae Young, who have their shoe lines with Adidas, and LaMelo Ball, who is partnered with Puma, Klay Thompson, who has a signature shoe line with Anta and Jimmy Butler, who wears Li-Ning.