The New Balance brand could be on the lookout with Kyrie Irving now riding his sneaker-free agency.

According to Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports, New Balance should be paid attention to with regards to Irving’s newest status after breaking up with Nike.

The swoosh brand officially stripped its connection and branding from Irving earlier this week, ending an almost a decade of sneaker and apparel partnership that started in 2014 and saw seven signature shoes released. Stemming from the highly controversial antisemitic stance of the All-Star guard after he shared an Amazon link of “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America”, there were already writings on the wall that Nike is slowly cutting its ties with the Brooklyn Nets star following founder Phil Knight’s remarks last month.  

“Kyrie stepped over the line. It’s kind of that simple,” Nike founder Phil Knight told CNBC last month. “He made some statements that we just can’t abide by, and that’s why we ended the relationship. And I was fine with that.”

Irving made another public stir on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets as he donned his signature Kyrie 3 PE shoe with Nike that says “I AM FREE. Thank you God … I AM”, which covered the brand’s iconic swoosh logo with a tape.

Should New Balance decide to make a run and ultimately land Irving, it is safe to assume that he can bring high-risk-high rewards to their overall sales and identity. While Irving is notably famous given the basketball and offensive wizardry he displays, he is meanwhile a polarizing figure due to his controversies and outspoken behavior about his traditional beliefs.

Nevertheless, the New Balance features a plethora of promising partnered players the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, and Jamal Murray. As such, it now only goes down if Irving will join them, consider other key options or stick around for being a brand free-agent.