As Amazon and NBC continue to assemble rosters for their respective NBA coverage, current media members aren’t the only talent on which the two platforms are keeping tabs.
In his most recent newsletter, CNBC’s Alex Sherman reported that both Amazon and NBC are eyeing current NBA players who could potentially retire following the current 2024-25 season. In particular, Sherman mentioned Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Draymond Green and “possibly” Kyle Lowry as players the networks are interested in for potential roles on their respective studio shows.
Green and Paul have dabbled in media work in recent years, with the former signing a multiyear contract with TNT Sports in 2022. But while many previously assumed that Green would wind up a regular cast member—and perhaps a potential replacement for Charles Barkley—on Inside the NBA, that was before TNT lost its portion of the NBA media rights package for the deal that will go into effect for the 2025-26 season.
As for Paul, the 39-year-old point guard earned strong reviews for the work he did with ESPN during last season’s NBA playoffs. Neither Love nor Lowry have taken on formal media roles during their own playing careers. Still, both have earned reputations for being media-friendly and carrying stature as longtime star players in the league.
While he’s been retired for nearly three years now, Sherman also noted that networks are also intrigued by the possibility of adding Carmelo Anthony to their coverage. Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy first broke the news of the interest in the 10-time All-Star last month, noting that Anthony was “talking to everybody” about possible studio and game analyst roles.
Sherman’s report comes amid a wave of news regarding both Amazon and NBC’s efforts to solidify their NBA coverage ahead of next season. Amazon recently announced that its NBA studio show would feature Taylor Rooks, Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin.
In contrast, after having previously hired Jamal Crawford as an analyst, NBC formally announced that Mike Tirico would serve as its lead NBA play-by-play announcer.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.