MLB insider Jeff Passan, a product of Solon High School near Cleveland, is among the candidates to replace NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski with ESPN, per Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Wojnarowski announced his retirement from the industry earlier this month to become the GM of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program. Rumors have said that ESPN may be looking to replace Wojnarowski from within — or perhaps just by committee.
Other candidates from the so-called Worldwide Leader are believed to be Brian Winhorst, Ramona Shelburne and Tim Bontemps, as well as outsiders such as The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Passan, 44, joined ESPN in 2019 after 13 years with Yahoo Sports.
“Besides the potential for greater earnings for Passan, ESPN has a long-term relationship with the NBA as it just signed an 11-year extension to be the home of the NBA Finals,” Marchand wrote. “Meanwhile, ESPN’s marriage to baseball is in a tenuous stage. It has an opt-out in its current contract, which is for $540 million per season, that it is expected to use or threaten to use by the end of next season.
“While ESPN could stay in business with MLB, it is not guaranteed. ESPN has an interest in MLB’s local rights, which could be where the two sides come together.”
Meanwhile, Marchand wrote that Charania is a “leading candidate” as well. But sources have told Hoops Wire that friction between Wojnarowski and Charania could make such a hire difficult for ESPN. Others have added, however, that they don’t view Woj as an obstacle should Charania want the job.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
