Dwyane Wade may have put the finishing touches on his Hall of Fame playing career this year, but the 13-time All-Star will have plenty of opportunities to remain involved with the NBA if he chooses to go that route.
More specifically, Wade is a wanted man among television networks. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that both ESPN and TNT are preparing pitches for the former Miami Heat star and want him to begin serving as a studio analyst as early as this postseason. Wade has done some limited worked with ESPN/ABC during the playoffs in the past, but it is not yet clear if he wants to pursue a full-time role now that he is retired.
Marchand adds that ESPN is considering the possibility of overhauling its “NBA Countdown” show or just making some minor tweaks, and Wade could be a fit there. The TNT “Inside the NBA” crew seems more set with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Williams sitting alongside host Ernie Johnson, but Barkley is 56 and has said in the past that he wants to call it quits when he’s 60. Now could be a good time to start incorporating Wade if he’s interested.
It should be noted that Paul Piece has been a member of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” crew this season, and he recently had a very public debate with Wade over who had a better career. Assuming there is no bad blood between the two, that rivalry could make for a fun dynamic on the show.
