Barkley’s reputation is as a basketball analyst but he has contributed to golf and hockey coverage.
It would be a risky move but offers a potential lifeline for Chuck, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
The NBA announced that NBC and Amazon Prime Video would join ESPN as broadcast partners as part of a landmark 11-year, $77 billion TV deal.
NBC snapped up TNT’s game package to get the league back on its airwaves for the first time since 2002.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network attempted to hijack Amazon’s $1.8 billion deal , using its matching rights included in the current contract.
However, the NBA said Wednesday the proposal “did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer.”
Barkley claimed that the league “wanted to break up with us from the beginning” in a bitter reaction to the news.
“I’m not sure TNT ever had a chance,” the Inside the NBA analyst wrote in a statement via Bleacher Report .
“TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future.”
Highest contracts in NBA history
Jayson Tatum , Celtics – 5 years, $314 million
Jaylen Brown , Celtics – 5 years, $285.4 million
Nikola Jokic , Nuggets – 5 years, $276.1 million
Bradley Beal , Suns – 5 years, $251 million (signed with Washington)
Anthony Edwards , Timberwolves – 5 years, $244.6 million
Tyrese Haliburton , Pacers – 5 years, $244.6 million
“It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks.
“I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years.
“They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better.
“I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports.
“We’re going to give you everything we have next season.”
WBD issued a strong statement after seeing its matching offer rejected, saying the league “grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond” while vowing to “take appropriate action.”
The media giant also immediately began to weigh legal options in order to keep the NBA on TNT, The U.S. Sun has been told.
“They are making a huge mistake – and a legal mistake in our opinion,” a TNT insider close to the negotiations with the NBA said.
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