Amid the recent news that John Wall’s first post-retirement endeavor will be joining Prime’s desk of NBA analysts for its inaugural season of NBA coverage, I naturally began to wonder which players would be best suited for a potential career as an NBA broadcaster, analyst or talking head once their playing days come to a close.
Of course you have the obvious choices like Draymond Green and C.J. McCollum, who have already dipped their feet in broadcasting even while still remaining active NBA players. But what about someone like Anthony Edwards, who might just be the smoothest talker the game has seen in a generation? Or maybe someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has always had a knack for comedic timing and saying exactly what’s on his mind at any given time.
I don’t think we’ll ever see Nikola Jokic in a lapel suit on an NBC set, but could we see someone of LeBron James or Steph Curry’s stature make the transition to TV? I wouldn’t typically bet on it, but we did see Michael Jordan get announced as one of the NBA on NBC contributors, so you can truly never say never.
Listed below are the five prime and realistic candidates for a future role as an NBA analyst, ranging from surefire locks to some that lean closer to wishful thinking. The sports media industry seems to be moving toward an era where it seeks out contributions from ex-players more than people who cover the sport for a living, so there will surely be more than five current NBA players who try their hand at a television career at some point. That means your favorite player still has a chance if they didn’t make the cut here.
Draymond Green, Warriors (Age 35)
This is the obvious one. Draymond officially set himself on the path for a post-retirement TV role by signing a multi-year exclusive deal with Turner Sports in 2022, the first such deal between an active player and one of the league’s (then) broadcasting partners. He even took it a step further by embarking on a successful, yet controversial journey as the host of a renowned podcast, “The Draymond Green Show”, sometimes recording and releasing episodes in the hours immediately following crucial games.
Green has long been one of the game’s most polarizing figures on the court, but he’s received rave reviews for his contributions to the TNT desk during his time working for the network. Because he’ll likely stick to pregame and postgame shows instead of doing color commentary, it’s not hard to envision Green having a Charles Barkley-esque second act as the premier talking head in the sport.
C.J. McCollum, Wizards (Age 33)
McCollum is another guy you’ll almost certainly see on your TV screen for some years after his playing car. In large part because, just like Green, he’s already planted the seeds to transition to a career on TV when he finally decides to hang up his jersey. McCollum made his TV debut as a contributor to ESPN’s coverage of the 2022 NBA Finals and continued his work with the worldwide leader in sports by joining the company’s coverage of NBA Summer League weeks later.
As the former president of the NBA Player’s Association, McCollum is no stranger to a forward-facing role that requires him to be a smooth talker. If Draymond’s TV potential is comparable to Barkley’s, it’s not too crazy to think McCollum could have a long and successful career as a pragmatic analyst in the same vein as Greg Anthony.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (Age 24)
Anthony Edwards might be aiming for the silver screen instead of an analyst round table when his playing career ends, but you can’t deny that the most charismatic player in the NBA would be must-watch TV as an NBA talking head. Imagine Edwards verbally sparring with Stephen A. Smith before an NBA Finals game, or roasting one of his former rivals the way we’ve heard Shaq and Barkley roast each other for so many years on Inside The NBA.
Edwards still has a decade-plus remaining in his playing career, and he doesn’t seem like the type of guy to accept a TV contract after getting sent home early in the playoffs. So it will probably be a while before we see him on TV. But if it ever happens, it’s sure to be an entertaining product.
Stephen Curry, Warriors (Age 37)
This one is probably some wishful thinking. But as I said earlier, if Jordan is going to join NBC’s NBA coverage, then I suppose anything is possible. To get the insights of a player of Curry’s caliber on a nightly broadcast would be an incredible opportunity to get inside the mind of one of the most beloved talents in NBA history.
It would be even more interesting if we were lucky enough to get Curry and Draymond on the same pregame show, allowing basketball fans to get an inside look at the chemistry that made one of the greatest duos in NBA history. I almost got a little greedy and chose LeBron for the first legendary player slot, but I have a hard time believing he would sign with another media company before starting (or continuing) his own media endeavor.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (Age 30)
“The Greek Freak” is one of the funniest players in the NBA, with countless viral quips and moments on camera that have endeared him to fans across the world despite the fact that he doesn’t always keep his nose clean in on-court scuffles. Giannis would be the perfect side character on a typically serious broadcast, much like the role Bill Walton played during the cherished time he spent gracing our television screens.
The one roadblock to this is that Giannis does seem like a pretty reserved and stoic guy a lot of times when it comes to the game of basketball, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he just wanted to focus on his family life and other avenues when he does decide to step away from the game. If this ever does happen, I think even people who aren’t the biggest Giannis fans would find themselves entertained by his antics.
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