Shams Charania leaving The Athletic to join ESPN as senior NBA insider

NBA insider Shams Charania is leaving The Athletic to join ESPN, he said Monday.

Charania’s move came after longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski retired from his role with ESPN in September.

“I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s senior NBA insider. I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide,” Charania said in a post on X.

I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s Senior NBA Insider. I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide. pic.twitter.com/sBDFGIpkb6

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 7, 2024

Charania, who amassed a large following by breaking news on trades, signings, injuries, draft picks, coaching changes and more, joined The Athletic in August 2018 after serving as Yahoo! Sports’ national NBA insider from 2015 to 2018. As The Athletic previously reported, Charania’s contract was up, and he fielded interest from new NBA rightsholder NBC. He also previously worked for Stadium, a streaming network, but will not return to that role.

Though Charania, 30, mostly reported NBA news, he broke stories in the NFL, WNBA and men’s and women’s college basketball as well, including tipping the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, which was Bryce Young being selected by the Carolina Panthers.

A native of Chicago, Charania graduated from Loyola University.

Wojnarowski, 55, left ESPN to become general manager of the men’s basketball team at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater.

Before Charania’s move, The Athletic reported that ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan emerged as a candidate to fill Wojnarowski’s role. Passan earns around $1 million per year, according to sources briefed on his contract. Wojnarowski was making around $7 million per season and left $20 million on his deal upon retiring from journalism.

(Photo: Mat Hayward / Getty Images)