Much of the talk about what will happen to the studio crew behind TNT's iconic “Inside the NBA” show if the company officially loses its NBA rights has centered around Charles Barkley, with Shaquille O'Neal set to be a big part of the mix.
TNT's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), sued the NBA, alleging that the NBA violated its “matching right” by choosing Amazon's bid over its own.
The issue has become embroiled in litigation, with the NBA arguing that WBD does not qualify for the streaming-first package on Amazon's Prime Video service.
If the matter is resolved through a settlement or a court decision in the NBA's favor and TNT is no longer involved in the NBA business, Amazon, NBC and even ESPN would likely be keen to acquire TNT's established studio and game announcers.
Barkley, who recently announced a long-term deal with TNT Sports with or without the NBA, previously said he could opt out of the deal if the network doesn't renew its NBA rights.
Industry sources believe the 52-year-old O'Neal's contract includes similar provisions.
If Barkley is the top target in the broadcasting free-agent battle, O'Neal is the obvious 1A, even if he ends up working another studio program after TNT.
Not only is he a four-time NBA champion and a hugely successful business man after retiring, he's also a charming and entertaining announcer.
There's also a Q-score element.
“Shaq is one of the few monocultural sports superstars remaining in the industry today. Shaq and Charles [Barkley] “They're like Snoop Dogg, everyone knows and loves them, from grandma to little kids,” Nate Jones, an NBA agent with Goodwin Sports who works closely with Damian Lillard and actively monitors the media landscape, told The Post.
“In this age of fragmented social media, it's incredibly hard for sports stars to break out the way they have, which is why they're so valuable to sports broadcasters and their brand partners. Shaq is nearly 10 years younger than Charles, so he may have a bit more room to flourish as a sports talent at this stage than Charles.”
In a scenario where TNT loses the NBA, both Amazon and NBC would be left to build NBA studio programming from scratch.
ESPN should also consider hiring O'Neal, as “NBA Countdown” has seen a rotation of hosts and commentators over the past decade.
In some ways, O'Neal will fill a similar need to the one ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro made when he spent big money to lure Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from Fox Sports to be the announcers for “Monday Night Football.”
Another option for O'Neill is The Wall Street Journal. reported earlier this month TNT is considering continuing the “Inside the NBA” panel as a general sports program even if it loses the NBA rights.
Other TNT studio analysts who could potentially move on to roles at other networks include Candace Parker and Draymond Green (still with the Warriors).
Last week, Jamal Crawford, who was part of TNT's Tuesday studio crew last season, announced he is now a media free agent.
Chris Webber, who retired from his role as a TNT commentator in 2021, could take on a studio or game analyst role next year.
Kenny Smith's contract status is unclear, but he too could be in a new studio role in 2025 if TNT moves away from its NBA operations.
