Out of nowhere, reports surfaced that Inside the NBA has secured a lifeline for next season. It was a surprise as rival networks ESPN and ABC will air the show, but it still will be a TNT property. So, after months of legal battle, fans took a sigh of relief reading about their favorites, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith returning next year. But it seems the celebration was premature.

“Little news: “Frustrated” Shaq is currently not under contract to join “Inside the NBA” next season when the show is licensed to ESPN,” Jimmy Traina reported on X. As per the sources of Sports Illustrated, the Lakers legend is very different from the rest of the Inside guys. They might do other shows, including the NCAA tournament. But Shaq’s contract is only for the NBA and will be up in no time.

Currently, it will be up in about eight months as sources say O’Neal’s contract with WBD expires on July 1, 2025. Other sources also stated to SI that Shaquille O’Neal wants to be part of the show. However, he doesn’t understand why his contract status is uncertain, while the next season’s promotion is already underway.

Previously, the four-time NBA Champion reportedly signed a 10-year deal in 2022 with his three crewmates. According to those reports, even Shaquille O’Neal had an opt-out clause in the current deal. His salary is around $10 million every season, which adds to the $292 million in total NBA salaries and $200 million in endorsements.

Now that the news is out, it will be interesting to see which activities Charles Barkley officially carries on after

Shaquille O’Neal’s best friend’s plans, excluding basketball, seem to be set in the journey

“We continue to add to the breadth and depth of our sports portfolio — including new properties in the College Football Playoffs, Roland-Garros, NASCAR, BIG EAST college basketball, and Mountain West football, among others–and it’s fantastic to have Charles for this journey as we develop new content ideas and shows for our fans,” TNT CEO Luis Silberwasser said that they were open to other shows post the NBA.

So, the network already acquired the rights to the French Open for 10 years. Additionally, certain college football games that they could sub-license from ESPN, they did. Considering that Chuck has been the face for the longest, his going on different networks, plus working for TNT, shouldn’t be an issue.

It will also be interesting to see if Shaquille O’Neal opts out of the contract and then how the scenario changes. Will the rest of the crew walk out on TNT together to send a strong message?