There’s been a gold rush on NBA TV talent as NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video build their broadcast teams for the 2025–2026 season. But plenty of talented people remain available—now or in the near future—as NBC, Amazon’s Prime Video, and incumbent ESPN fight it out for the best hoops announcers, analysts, and reporters.
A flurry of recent hires has taken key names off the chessboard. NBC signed Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford as game analysts—and named Mike Tirico its lead play-by-play announcer. Prime hired host Taylor Rooks and analysts Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin for studio coverage. ESPN brought on Udonis Haslem to lengthen its bench. In the biggest move, TNT licensed Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith to ESPN in exchange for a package of Big 12 college football and basketball games.
We’re not listing current stars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green. Also not included are Shaquille O’Neal and Carmelo Anthony, who are finalizing deals with TNT and NBC, respectively. Here’s our Top 20 list of most valuable targets (in alphabetical order by last name).
- Jon Barry: He is adept as both a studio analyst and color commentator. He was a part of ESPN/ABC’s NBA Finals studio team for years. In recent years he has worked for NBA TV.
- Jared Greenberg: He’s both a sideline reporter for TNT and the host of NBA Digital’s popular CrunchTime program, a basketball spin on NFL RedZone.
- Chris Haynes: Few boast better player sources than this veteran NBA insider. The former ESPN and Yahoo columnist left TNT—where he also worked as a sideline reporter—for greener pastures of free agency last year.
- Grant Hill: Hill is a color commentator on the top CBS/TNT NCAA tournament broadcast team with Bill Raftery and play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle. He is also in demand for NBA, where he has experience both on games and in studio.
- Jim Jackson: He’s a versatile analyst, working both college hoops on Fox and NBA on TNT. Word on the street is he’s talked to Prime and NBC.
- Mark Jackson: Jackson nearly got a job with the Knicks at MSG post-ESPN layoff, but it was nixed by coach Tom Thibodeau at the eleventh hour.
- Gus Johnson: His voice is synonymous with college basketball via current gig as Fox’s lead college hoops announcer. Johnson famously called the NCAA tournament at CBS. Johnson has also been a part of TNT’s NBA playoff coverage in recent years. The top Fox college football team featuring Johnson and Joel Klatt is top tier.
- Sarah Kustok: YES Network is a factory line for national NBA TV talent, and director Frank DiGraci will join NBC. Is Kustok next?
- Allie LaForce: She is the lead sideline reporter for the NBA on TNT. She is also a part of the network’s NCAA tournament coverage with CBS.
- Adam Lefkoe: He hosts the Tuesday edition of Inside the NBA on TNT. The heir-apparent to Ernie Johnson is also Shaq’s podcast cohost.
- Zach Lowe: He’s been lying low since the shocking layoff by ESPN in September, but he isn’t eligible for a new deal quite yet. But this writer and podcaster is too talented to ignore as a free agent.
- Rachel Nichols: She’s got the résumé, the contacts, the ambition. Could the former host of The Jump make a comeback?
- Candace Parker: She has excelled on TNT in recent years. With NBC and Amazon also picking up WNBA rights in their new TV deals, there are a lot of games—and studio time—available, and she could help complete the puzzle.
- Chandler Parsons: Parsons is a cohost on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. In a cluttered content world, he makes comments that cut through and get picked up across social media.
- Austin Rivers: The son of coach Doc Rivers has worked for both NBC and ESPN on pro and college hoops coverage.
- Ashley ShahAhmadi: The young ESPN star went viral for her Dr Pepper halftime appearance during the SEC championship game. “Everybody wants her as their sideline reporter,” says one source.
- Jeff Van Gundy: There were rumors that the NBA made the call to axe Van Gundy from ESPN, which commissioner Adam Silver denied having been the case. He was on the top ESPN team for 16 seasons and is missed by a faction of fans.
- Stan Van Gundy: He has been a color commentator at TNT since 2019 after previously working at ESPN. He has a keen eye for what happens away from the ball and for concisely explaining what’s going on in the game.
- Dwyane Wade: He seemed like a shoo-in for NBC after serving as color analyst during the Paris Olympics. NBC exec Molly Solomon praised the rookie game analyst’s Olympic calls. But sources tell us D-Wade’s talking to multiple suitors, not just NBC.
- Chris Webber: He parted ways with TNT in 2021. He was a strong color commentator for the network and could also fit into a studio role.
