Longtime ESPN NBA reporter Kevin Pelton is leaving his beat to join a WNBA front office.
Pelton is slated to join the Houston Comets’ front office ahead of the 2027 season, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reports.
On Monday, it was officially announced that a WNBA team would return to Houston and be named the Comets. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is currently in the process of purchasing the Connecticut Sun and moving the franchise to Houston, where it will adopt the name of one of the league’s original eight teams based in the city. The sale is still pending approval from the WNBA board of governors, though that appears to be a formality.
Pelton will join the Sun front office for the team’s final season, working with the existing front office to prepare for what is certain to be a busy offseason. Not only are the Sun preparing for the WNBA Draft in April, but they’ll also be preparing for the upcoming expansion draft as two additional teams join the league in 2026. Teams are permitted to protect five players, with the rest of the roster vulnerable to being selected by either expansion franchise.
As such, this is a critical period for WNBA front offices.
Pelton joined ESPN in 2013 after covering the Seattle Storm for the team’s official site from 2002 to 2012. Prior to working at ESPN, Pelton consulted for the Pacers from 2010 to 2012. He proved his statistical chops while writing for Basketball Prospectus from the site’s founding in 2007 to 2012. At ESPN, Pelton was a regular contributor to Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast.
The former ESPN writer is not the only person making the crossover from reporter to front office analyst in the WNBA. Recently, The Athletic’s Ben Pickman accepted a job in the Portland Fire front office as the team prepares for the upcoming expansion draft.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.