ESPN re-signs key NBA personalities

ESPN has been busy on Tuesday announcing new contracts for several of its basketball personalities. On the NBA side, it includes Tim Legler and Kendrick Perkins, who will see expanded roles at the network.

ESPN announced a quartet of re-signings today including Chiney Ogwumike and Monica McNutt in addition to Perkins and Legler.

Legler has been one of the longest tenured analysts at ESPN with his career dating all the way back to 2000, mostly serving in a studio capacity. In his new contract with the network, Legler will also appear in a game analyst role in addition to his studio work. Legler was approaching free agency and a bit of an uncertain future, but this new deal will see him continue to be a major part of ESPN’s NBA coverage for years to come as they start up their new rights deal next year.

Perkins has quickly emerged as one of ESPN’s most visible figures when it comes to the NBA, joining the network in 2019 after a successful playing career that included an NBA title with the Boston Celtics. He is a bit of a lightning rod when it comes to his takes, but he has shown no signs of backing down whether it’s his ESPN colleagues like Stephen A. Smith or even Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew .

Perkins’ new contract will see him have a new role on ABC’s NBA Countdown coverage… which is undergoing yet another transition this year with the departure of Adrian Wojnarowski.

Overall, ESPN is making a big statement of intent by announcing these new renewals before the start of the season, indicating that Ogwumike, McNutt, Perkins, and Legler will be some of the cornerstones of their coverage for the next media rights cycle that begins next year. Perhaps the most interesting name to watch will be Legler.

ESPN was coy in announcing their plans for NBA coverage with regards to whether or not anyone would join Mike Breen and Doris Burke in the lead booth after the revolving door of Doc Rivers and JJ Redick. Tim Legler is so well respected that he could get a look if he impresses doing more games as an analyst. Likewise with Perkins on NBA Countdown , a larger role there could lead to him being cemented as a mainstay.

Whatever the future holds, ESPN is hoping bigger roles for all of these individuals could bring the spark that their NBA coverage needs to help live up to the standard of the departing NBA on TNT.

[ ESPN ]

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