We Drafted Commentary And Studio Teams For Amazon And NBC’s NBA Coverage

The NBA officially announced its new national media rights deal on Wednesday, moving forward with plans to add Amazon and NBC as two new partners alongside ESPN. A legal fight could be coming regarding TNT’s effort to match the Amazon package, but the NBA denied that the network can meet the full breadth of the offer from Amazon, which extends far beyond just the dollar amount.

The expectation is that gets resolved prior to an actual court battle and the NBA will get its wish to go forward with the package as planned. What will be most interesting from a fan perspective with the new media deal is how the new networks build out their game and studio coverage. We know what ESPN’s coverage will likely look like, but Amazon and NBC have a chance to build something from scratch, which could breathe some freshness into the national coverage of the league.

The future of the Inside the NBA crew hangs over everything, as every network will be chasing them as the gold standard of sports television. Amazon and ESPN are reportedly interested in the entire crew, although the likelihood of that happening is slim to none by all accounts. The only avenue that seems possible is Charles Barkley’s idea to sign the crew to his production company and then sell the show as a whole to a network, and even that’s iffy given contracts already signed.

Beyond that, every network will be interested in Barkley individually, and Shaq and Kenny Smith figure to garner plenty of interest as well — Ernie Johnson is expected to stay with Turner, continuing in his roles on MLB and NCAA Tournament. It’d be surprising if all four members of the Inside crew were simply not part of NBA coverage in 2025-26, but it’s also hard to figure out exactly who would go where.

As such, we decided to draft game and studio teams for Amazon (Robby) and NBC (Bill) with the Inside fellas excluded, understanding that any of them can basically pick their landing spot if they want. Everyone else was on the table, from established talent at TNT and even ESPN (if you could elevate their role to convince them to leave) to folks from team broadcasts, podcasters, and recently retired players. NBC started with Mike Tirico in the lead play-by-play slot and Maria Taylor in the lead studio host spot, as those seem like locks barring one of them leaving the network altogether. Otherwise, it’s a blank slate for both, and we alternated picks for 3 play-by-play announcers, four game analysts (two for the lead booth), a studio host, and three studio analysts.

NBC

Lead Broadcast Team: Mike Tirico, Jamal Crawford, and Jim Jackson

It’s been reported that Tirico is going to be the lead broadcaster for NBC, which isn’t a surprise, as he is the voice of the network’s NFL broadcasts and has called NBA games in the past when he was at ESPN — he was on the call when Damian Lillard eliminated the Houston Rockets from the playoffs back in 2014.

Crawford was a no-brainer pick for me. I think if either NBC or Amazon are really smart, they’re grabbing him immediately and banking on him to be next big thing in NBA broadcasting — he’s been great in the studio for Turner whenever he’s been in that role, and I thought he was excellent when he moved into the booth for specific games this past season, particularly during the playoffs as a member of a three-man group with Kevin Harland and Reggie Miller. And if NBC wants to pair him with someone more experienced, bringing Jackson over from Turner’s roster of NBA broadcasters as someone who clearly cares and brings a terrific personality to broadcasts is obvious. This would immediately become one of my favorite booths in the sport.

Broadcast Team 2: Noah Eagle and Dwyane Wade

I won’t write too terribly much about this duo since I did that here , but they’re incredibly good together. The only things that I could foresee being issues are Wade being a busy guy who might not be able to dedicate time to this, and one of his off-court ventures being his ownership stake in the Utah Jazz. But there’s time to get both of those figured out.

Broadcast Team 3: Adam Amin and Stacey King

Adam Amin had to be my third play-by-play guy. Every time I have ever watched him call a game in any sport, I’ve been blown away by how good he is at his job — he’s super well-prepared, he’s great at banter during a game, and he’s awesome during big moments. And obviously, if I am getting Adam Amin, I need to get Stacey King, his wonderful partner on Chicago Bulls broadcasts. Would Amin do this when he has NFL and MLB responsibilities for Fox? Would King leave for a national gig? Who knows! But this is all in good fun, and when I want to hear a fun NBA broadcast, I throw on a Bulls game.

Studio Crew: Maria Taylor, Candace Parker, Tim Legler, and Raja Bell

It’s just common sense to put Maria Taylor as the host of the studio show. Assuming she would want to do this right after football season — she hosts NBC’s Big Ten and NFL pregame shows, so it’d make sense if she wants a break — you take the former NBA Countdown host and have her host whatever NBC’s show is.

Parker was always going to be my first pick for a voice in the studio, and if NBC wants to make a splash, giving Legler this platform is the exact sort of move that would apply, as he’s the best analyst ESPN has but has always felt like he doesn’t have a big enough role. The two are incredibly smart, are excellent at discussing the game, and aren’t afraid to be really honest when the situation demands it. As for Bell, I wanted the final spot to go to someone a little more off the wall, and every time I’ve caught him on the “Real Ones” podcast, I’ve thought he’s the kind of big personality who can breathe a little life into a studio show. Or they can just give Charles Barkley a lot of money.

Amazon

Lead Broadcast Team: Ian Eagle, Sarah Kustok, and Blake Griffin

There have been reports already that Ian Eagle is the top target for Amazon’s lead play-by-play spot and for good reason. The 55-year-old is a veteran who is finally getting the spotlight after being elevated to CBS’ lead booth for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and has been phenomenal calling NBA games on TNT for years. As for his partners, I’d go with someone he has tremendous rapport with already in Sarah Kustok, who is spectacular alongside Bird on YES Network calling Brooklyn Nets games, and then a guy I think should be on every network’s wishlist, Blake Griffin. He’s incredibly comfortable in front of a mic, and while I don’t know if he has aspirations of calling games, I think he’d be a fantastic fit as part of a booth with Eagle and Kustok.

Broadcast Team 2: Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller

I can’t break up Harlan and Reggie. I know Miller’s not everyone’s favorite, but I fall on the Reggie is fun and good side of things, especially when he’s calling games with Harlan because their energy and enthusiasm is terrific . I think Reggie could also very well end up in play for ESPN’s lead booth after next season , but I’d prefer to see him stay with Harlan.

Broadcast Team 3: Michael Grady and Vince Carter

Michael Grady is a rising star in the play-by-play world and I think one of the new networks needs to scoop him up as a regular national broadcaster. He’s been fantastic in Minnesota and made his national debut this past postseason with TNT. As for who to partner with him, I was going to go Jim Jackson before Bill scooped him up at NBC, but Vince Carter would also be a good fit. Carter is good at just about everything he’s done on TV, from studio to game work, and I think he and Grady could become a fan favorite team.

Studio Crew: Cassidy Hubbarth, Andre Iguodala, Channing Frye, and Jalen Rose

For studio host, I think Amazon might go a similar route they went with Thursday Night Football, going with an established voice in Cassidy Hubbarth but giving her a step up in platform. Hubbarth is fantastic as a studio host and on sidelines, but there’s not a ton of upward mobility available to her at ESPN right now, as Lisa Salters has a lock on top sideline duty for as long as she wants it and Malika Andrews has established herself as the rising star of studio hosts at the network. That could provide an opportunity for Amazon to swoop in and poach her away for a leading role in studio.

I also think they’ll follow a similar route to their TNF construction when it comes to their NBA studio show, looking to go fairly young and lean on personality and fun, with one established analyst alongside. Iguodala and Frye are terrific on camera but aren’t so polished they shy away from saying what’s on their mind at any given time. I think this group would reinvigorate Jalen Rose, who by the end at ESPN seemed pretty beaten down by the revolving door of NBA Countdown , and remind folks that at his best, Rose is one of the more entertaining players turned TV personalities we’ve seen.