Who could replace NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN?

Regarded as the go-to insider for all things NBA, Adrian Wojnarowski leaves behind some extremely large shoes to fill and so, we’re taking a look at the names that have been shortlisted. Who are they and what have they done such that they are in contention for one of the network’s most coveted jobs?

Replacements for Adrian Wojnarowski are being counted and weighed

It was just a few weeks ago on September 18th, when Adrian Wojnarowski dropped his last bomb, informing the basketball world that he was retiring from the business of NBA analytics and instead taking a job as the general manager of St. Bonaventure’s basketball program. Before the dust even settled, there was already talk of who ESPN would choose as his successor. After all, this is one of the best newsbreakers in all of American professional sports which is precisely why there have been countless reports since his announcement as to who comes next. To be clear, there has been no official word as to who the network will choose, but let’s review the reported options.

For starters, there is Shams Charania of the Athletic and former ESPN employee Chris Haynes. Both are regarded as Wojnarowski’s biggest rivals, being well-established and well-respected in the field in their own right. Where Charania is concerned, it’s worth noting that he is Wojnarowski’s former Yahoo Sports protégé, and what’s more, his contract with the Athletic, Stadium, and FanDuel are all about to come to an end. The same can also be said of Haynes where his current TNT deal is concerned.

Yet, the chatter didn’t stop there. Just a few days later, John Ourand of Puck alluded to the idea that the network might choose to go with a team approach as opposed to a 1-to-1 switch. To that end, Tim MacMahon, Tim Bontemps, Ramona Shelburne, and Brian Windhorst have been mentioned as individuals who could pick up any slack created by Woj’s exodus. Continuing, The Athletic also reported recently that Jeff Passan who is currently ESPN’s top baseball reporter may be asked to make the switch to basketball.

Then, came the most recent report on the subject on Monday, with Adam Schefter of NFL fame being put forward as the man who could in theory fill both roles at the same time i.e., his present gridiron grand and the NBA coverage we’ve come to love from Woj which would be something to see. This is all to say that there are quite a few possibilities at this time and while none appear to be the outright front-runner, one has to imagine that with the start of the NBA season now close at hand, that’s likely to change very soon. As we always say, watch this space.