Former NBA champ Trevor Ariza's son, Tajh signs a major NIL deal with legendary West Coast rapper's lifestyle brand

Tajh Ariza, the 6-foot-8 son of former NBA champion Trevor Ariza continues to expand his off-court profile. Swishcultures, a popular website about everything basketball, announced on their Instagram handle that the young forward from Westchester Senior had signed a major NIL deal with Marathon on Monday, November 18.

Marathon is the iconic Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand associated with the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Swishculture also included a clip of Tajh Ariza revealing the details of the deal in the Instagram post. The partnership reportedly holds personal value to Tajh, who emphasized his connection to LA:

“I have a partnership with Marathon; that's like an LA-based brand, so it's pretty big for me, considering I grew up in LA,” Tajh shared.

"But it was really, for me, mostly for my teammates, like, So you know, we can really wake the city back up, and you know, just for my teammates so we could raise, you know, do a couple things, raise money, you know, just have fun.” He added.

The collaboration is a first for Marathon in the NIL space. The partnership aligns with the late rapper’s cultural influence and focuses on youth-driven fashion, which complements Ariza’s rising profile as a basketball star.

Where Does Tajh Ariza Stand In Terms of NIL Value?

Tajh Ariza, a five-star recruit, is quickly scaling the high school basketball scene. Currently, he is 7th in the 2026 ESPN 60 Recruiting Database, and has an NIL value of $578K, according to ON3.

Taj Ariza’s NIL value is still nowhere compared to the big five, with AJ Dybantsa at the top, followed by Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, and Bryce James. However, the 16-year-old forward is turning heads with his performance and has secured a spot on the watchlist for the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year.

His Nike EYBL Peach Jam performance constituted 13.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, which has already bolstered his chances of landing a strong college team. Tajh only had three major Division I offers in his freshman year. However, he has now extended his tally by five more within the span of just three months. It speaks volumes about how the phenom is quickly climbing the ladder of basketball success. He has certainly caught the attention of major basketball programs across the country.

If Tajh Ariza maintains the momentum and continues to mesmerize with his performance, he will soon be signing several more NIL deals.