ESPN is looking for a new lead NBA insider in the wake of Adrian Wojnarowski's surprise retirement from the news industry, and the replacement may already be at the company.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan has emerged as a serious candidate to move over from baseball to basketball and become the network's new lead NBA reporter, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Per Marchand, the move from baseball to basketball for Passan would likely lead to a substantial pay raise. Passan is making "in the neighborhood" of $1 million per year to lead baseball coverage at ESPN. Wojnarowski was making around $7 million per year to cover the NBA at ESPN.
Another contributor to a potential switch from baseball reporting to basketball reporting for Passan is the uncertainty surrounding ESPN's future baseball coverage. There is an opt-out in ESPN's television contract for baseball that could be used by the end of the 2025 season.
While Passan is aware of the internal interest from ESPN, it is unclear if he would agree to reporting on the NBA.
Marchand also noted that Shams Charania of The Athletic is a serious candidate, as his contract is up with the prominent sports arm of The New York Times.
The Athletic hopes to keep Charania on board, but it's unclear where contract talks stand on a potential new deal for the prominent basketball reporter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Insider Jeff Passan Emerges As Contender to Replace Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN.