The ESPN crew covering the NBA has gone through all sorts of drama in the last few days. The latest one is the exit of JJ Redick to join the LA Lakers as its head coach. Notably, the 39-year-old faced a lot of hurdles in his pursuit to take the job. Redick signed a four-year contract earlier today, ending his 3-year stint with ESPN. However, another update from the network might leave the man of the hour in deep regret.

Stephen A. Smith, arguably the superstar of broadcasting, grabbed the NBA world’s attention with the latest update. According to Puck, ESPN has offered a $90 million contract for the next five years. A pitch to make the 56-year-old the highest-paid star in the network. However, the same report also stated that A. Smith has been seeking a better offer. Currently, the offer stands at $18 million per year and the veteran analyst is said to be expecting $25 million.

While the offer is yet to be finalized, it could have definitely made JJ Redick question his latest decision. If Stephen A. Smith ends up sealing the deal, he would be paid more than the highest-paid NBA coach. Currently, Steve Kerr tops the ladder with an annual salary of $17.5 million per year. While Redick’s salary with the Lakers is yet to be confirmed, the 39-year-old might make around $8 million per year after having held the staunch interest of ESPN, who were quick to sign an extension when Turner tried to lure him away.

There is a high possibility that Redick’s departure from the crew has impacted Smith’s latest offer. After the exit of a bunch of former NBA stars from the ESPN crew, the network can’t afford to lose its trump card. Moreover, this isn’t the first time when Stephen A. Smith made it to the headlines regarding his salary. In 2019, he signed a $60 million contract for 5 years, pushing behind every NBA coach’s salary except for Gregg Popovich.

Will ESPN thrive amid the mounting criticisms?

There’s no doubt that Stephen A. Smith is a superstar when it comes to broadcasting. But lately, Smith and his crew received a lot of backlashes for their NBA Finals between Celtics and Mavericks coverage. Firstly, ESPN became the public enemy for taking over the Finals coverage, leaving the TNT behind. It’s the after-effect of TNT’s inability to crack the media rights deal.

Moreover, the fans had issues with the halftime show during the NBA Finals. ESPN, which is solely dependent on advertisements, rarely took control of the halftime show. The network bombarded the viewers with tons of ads and very little analysis of the game. While the fans expected to get an expert opinion, they were disappointed with the poor presentation.

Apart from that, JJ Redick also took a major hit. During the Finals series, he picked up the mic to call the game. Fans were definitely not having his takes as they found him forcing too hard on the technical terms. Nevertheless, the equation at the network’s studio is completely different. Even though they have figured out a solution for the commercial breaks, they have a new look heading into the off-season. So, will ESPN thrive in the league? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video