Before the draft? Will they let him announce the picks before ESPN shows Silver at the podium? Might as well have both the normal TV draft show and the live streaming version "scooping" Silver to pump some ads at the streamers. But they could require a provider login, and still not embrace cable cutters.
https://www.recode.net/2017/5/1/15503674/espn-sports-adrian-wojnarowski-woj-yahoo ESPN is hiring Yahoo’s star basketball reporter Adrian Wojnarowski Last week, ESPN cut some of its reporters and on-air personnel. But the sports programmer is also hiring: It has finalized a deal to hire Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo’s star NBA reporter. Sources familiar with ESPN’s plan say Wojnarowski will begin working for ESPN in time to cover the June 22 NBA draft. I’m told the network also intends to bring aboard some of the staff of The Vertical, the NBA site Wojnarowski launched for Yahoo 2016. An ESPN rep declined to comment; I’ve asked Wojnarowski for comment but haven’t heard back. Wojnarowski is the highest-profile reporter covering pro basketball and is a one-man scoop machine, best known for tracking player trades and signings; he is famed for dispensing his scoops in real time on Twitter. Bringing him aboard means ESPN is hiring its most prominent and fierce competitor. Wojnarowski’s hire is also happening at the same time that ESPN is letting some of its other basketball talent go. Last week, longtime ESPN NBA reporters Marc Stein and Chad Ford said they were part of the company’s mass layoffs. Last year, Wojnarowski started The Vertical as part of a four-year deal reportedly worth millions. His departure means that Verizon, which is scheduled to acquire Yahoo for $4.5 billion in June, won’t get one of Yahoo’s highest-profile talents as part of the deal. People familiar with both companies say Yahoo told Verizon that Wojnarowski might leave last fall; Deadspin reported on his possible departure in February.
Chad Ford is garbage and never should have been a national guy. Mark Stein can go back to covering Dallas area basketball, where he should have been all along. At a minimum Stein was competent. So glad that ESPN got rid of Ric Bucher and Chris Brousard in the past. Both of them were terrible. Now they need to get rid of Jabba Shelburne
The question now is, which ones, (or perhaps all) of the Vertical Team will follow Woj to ESPN? Shams Lee Marks Mannix Givony Scalabrine DePaula
I'm not really a fan of this move, Woj is good at providing info, but he has no personality and his content is mediocre at best.
High possibility all of them will jump across. ESPN culled alot of its basketball staff. ESPN can afford to pay for this even though its cutting cost because they basically took out a major competitor against its basketball coverage.
but isn't that the point, I'm assuming that ESPN is buying the vertical.......loves Woj's scoops, but damn killing TrueHoop to get him seems a harsh way to get it.....and destroys some great content, missing those truehoop pods.... and never really listened to the vertical pods.... who knows maybe yahoo or someone else picks up Abott and crew
@SmeggySmeg The TrueHoop pods are coming back under the name "The Basketball Analogy." Same cast/producer. I don't like them but I know a lot of people do. Woj going to ESPN is a good thing. He will get more resources to allow him and his The Vertical team, to do what they do best.
it is fairly similar. especially given his contempt for them. i guess he just hated that they wouldn't pay him?
i can't tell if i like truehoop, but i listen to it a lot. i think the starters have the best blend of basketball and pop culture/banter, whereas dunc'd on is all basketball and truehoop is too much pop culture. when they actually talk basketball i think they do a good job, and even some of the side stuff is good (but no radio ethan hurts), but some times they seem to openly disdain talking basketball which is annoying. if dunc'd on weren't warriors fans they might be my favorite overall.
...and ESPN has announced the hire of Woj & Bobby Marks. Adrian Wojnarowski Joins ESPN as NBA Insider Award-winning Journalist Bringing NBA Reporting, Features, Insights and Interviews Across Digital, Television, Audio and Print Media in Multi-Year Deal Bristol (CT) Native Will Launch “The Writing Initiative” Program with Bristol Central High School, Funding Labs, Writing Programs, Scholarships, Publications and Professional Teachers Development Bobby Marks, former NBA team executive, also joining ESPN as NBA Front Office Insider Both begin July 1 as NBA free agency period opens Prolific and highly respected NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowski is joining ESPN as an NBA Insider. Wojnarowski will break news, report stories and features and provide insights from across the NBA and around the basketball world for ESPN’s multiple media, including digital, television, audio and print. He will begin at ESPN on July 1, making his debut on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt at Midnight and will then also join the NBA Free Agency Special hosted by Rachel Nichols (ESPN2, Midnight – 2 a.m. ET). Wojnarowski will be central in ESPN’s multimedia coverage of the NBA throughout the year, covering the league, its teams and players, free agency, the NBA Draft, the NBA Summer League and more. His reporting, insights and analysis will appear on ESPN.com and in the ESPN app (including global editions), and he will be seen on SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, The Jump, E:60, Outside the Lines and other programs to provide both news and feature reporting. He will also appear regularly on ESPN Radio programs and periodically contribute features to ESPN The Magazine. Additionally, Wojnarowski will continue to host a regular NBA-focused podcast on the DGital Media podcast network. “I have a determination to cover this sport with the same passion as fans have in following it,” Wojnarowski said. “ESPN’s commitment to gathering, breaking and covering NBA news – and its unparalleled combination of media to share those stories with a global audience – makes for an exciting opportunity to do that. There’s a lot of work to be done and I’m eager to get started.” Bobby Marks Joins ESPN as NBA Front Office Insider Along with Wojnarowski, Bobby Marks is also joining ESPN as part of their multimedia coverage of the NBA. Marks will be ESPN’s NBA Front Office Insider, providing insights and analysis on the inner workings of how NBA teams operate, make personnel and business decisions, manage the salary cap, navigate free agency and more. Marks will write columns for ESPN.com and the ESPN App, and contribute across ESPN’s NBA studio programming on television, including NBA Countdown, The Jump, SportsCenter and more. He will also be a regular guest on ESPN Radio and various ESPN podcasts. “Bobby has great insights on the inner workings of NBA teams and an excellent ability to clearly and simply help fans understand the many complexities of the modern NBA,” said Chad Millman, Vice President, Editorial Director, Domestic Digital Content, ESPN. “Part of what we try to do every day is entertain and enlighten fans, and Bobby will be a great addition to the team doing that.” Marks spent nearly 20 years in the NBA, working with the New Jersey and Brooklyn Nets, including five as the assistant general manager. In 2012, Marks was recognized as one of Crain’s New York Business Top 40 Under 40.
Looks like this will be part of a premium content strategy with him possibly becoming an ESPN Insider. We're going to have to pay to see his stuff.