ESPN is still trying to fill a void after the loss of its most prestigious NBA stakeholder. Adrian Wojnarowski, to serve his alma mater, abruptly announced his retirement from the reporting world. The beloved NBA insider had a loyal fanbase, awaiting his tantalizing ‘Woj bombs’. In the weeks ever since, the media giants have tried to find a successor. It was believed that they would choose someone in-house. However, according to recent reports, the ‘former’ Insider’s most intense rival is in the last stages of finalizing a contract.

Pat McAfee, who signed a 5-year deal with ESPN in 2023, has always put forth the name of Shams Charania to succeed Adrian Wojnarowski. During their battles, Shams has become a famed rival of the former senior insider. However, despite his roots, McAfee often called upon The Athletic’s Insider to appear on his show and now believes he is ESPN’s solution.

“Shams Charania’s the answer. I know there’s conversations happening… But if you take our bias out of this conversation, there’s only one answer. It’s Shams Charania,” McAfee said on his show, a testament that reportedly elevated Charania’s prospects. With his deals with The Athletic and FanDuel nearing its end, ESPN has apparently taken aggressive action. With competition from both NBC and Amazon, Front Office Sports reported that the mega media house’s conversations with the hoops Insider are at the “5-yard line”.

This report comes after it was perceived that Adam Schefter, who has been with ESPN since 2009, would become the “ultimate insider” extending his duties to both the NFL and the NBA. If it does come to fruition, Shams Charania could instantly become one of the high-profile members of ESPN’s NBA contingent. He has the diverse skills to do something beyond Adrian Wojnarowski.

Apart from his close sources, Charania is also fluid on-air, a quality reporters claim the retired veteran analyst didn’t boast. However, this entire situation has one roadblock.

Jeff Passan could intersect Shams Charania but it’s not easy

In the wake of Adrian Wojnarowski’s retirement, ESPN also axed Zach Lowe, a long-time NBA senior writer with the media hub. This would do tremendously well for a man the stature of Shams Charania in terms of his salary. With Woj leaving $20 million on the table as well as the savings with Lowe’s exit, ESPN could easily manage to rope him in. In doing so, they would have far greater resources than The Athletic, who are desperately trying to retain their biggest hoops asset.

But in the case that they want to continue saving money, an alternate option could be MLB insider Jeff Passan. ESPN’s deal with MLB was described as “tenuous” by The Athletic. Passan, who leads ESPN’s MLB coverage, has been touted as the in-house talent that could shift sports and join the NBA team. Even though he has never worked with basketball, his story is one that aligns with Wojnarowski.

He made his rise through Yahoo Sports, eventually becoming an MLB senior within ESPN. His current salary of $1 million per season is a far cry from Woj’s reported $7 million. Given Disney’s recent cost-cutting initiative, Jeff Passan would aid them in achieving their financial position by likely commanding a lower salary in comparison to Shams Charania.

But it does bring forth the question of expertise. The latter has had his feet wet in the NBA for years and is well-connected around the league and with General Managers. On the other hand, Passan would start as a rookie, relying on ESPN’s dynamics rather than his own. Given their stronghold within the NBA, it might be risky to replace the illuminating legacy of Wojnarowski with the MLB insider.

If there is ever an opportunity to utilize their resources and retain their connectivity around one of their most successful sports, this seems to be the perfect time. Everything points to Shams Charania taking over his rival’s place at ESPN. Do you wish to see the renowned insider replace Adrian Wojnarowski? Let us know your views and what you would’ve done in the comments below.

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