ESPN will have a vacancy on their No. 1 NBA announcing team now that J.J. Redick is being hired by the Los Angeles Lakers to serve as their next head coach. But who will replace him at ESPN? That’s a question many are wondering, and there may not be an immediate answer.
In a column published for Front Office Sports on Thursday, Michael McCarthy reported that ESPN may not move to hire a replacement for Redick anytime soon. McCarthy believes the network could stick with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Doris Burke as a two-person team instead of three-person announcing team.
If ESPN does look to fill Redick’s spot, McCarthy mentions Richard Jefferson as a possibility.
Redick, Jefferson and Ryan Ruocco were promoted prior to last season to serve as the network’s No. 2 NBA announcing team. Redick was later promoted to the No. 1 team after Doc Rivers left in January to coach the Milwaukee Bucks.
ESPN has several months to consider its options before making a decision on their announcing teams before the 2024-2025 NBA season.
