Nike is expected to decline matching the multi-year contract offer shoe company and sports outfitter Puma has made to Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Puma extended an offer to the up-and-coming start two weeks ago, one that Nike, who has outfitted Kuzma for the first two years of his career, appears unwilling to match in full. Not long ago, Kuzma was part of a small collection of athletes known as “Team Kobe,” which wore the Undefeated's Nike Kobe 4 Protro collection, along with others like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, and DeMar DeRozan.

Puma has been aggressively going after young talents, signing last year's top pick Deandre Ayton and second pick Marvin Bagley, along with notable veterans DeMarcus Cousins, Terry Rozier, Rudy Gay, and Danny Green.

Kuzma was likely competing in parallel with fellow third-year player Jayson Tatum, who moved from Nike to its elite subsidiary Jordan Brand earlier this summer, leaving room for another athlete on the roster.

It seems like it's all lined up for Puma to add another name to the roster after Nike let the 10 business days it had to match the contract expire.

Kyle Kuzma has arguably the highest profile of all their athletes, be it that he plays in a major market like Los Angeles, along with teammates Green and Cousins. However, it will be only Kuzma and Green who suit up this season after Cousins tore his ACL earlier this summer.

The third-year forward does have the potential to miss the start of Lakers training camp with a recent ankle soreness issue that could keep him from taking part in the early portion of the preseason.