Stephen A. Smith Joining ESPN’s NBA Studio Coverage: Report

NBA fans will be seeing a lot more of Stephen A. Smith next season, as ESPN reportedly plans to switch up their NBA studio coverage.

According to The Big Lead, it is believed that Smith will be featured as part of Wednesday night’s NBA on ESPN double-headers, although his specific role has not yet been announced.

Back in April, The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that Smith was “in line to become the highest-paid on-air person at ESPN,” and could see his salary double from $5 million a year to $10 million annually. The legendary “First Take” co-host already appears on numerous other programs within the network in addition to hosting his own radio show.

Additionally, Richard Deitsch reports that Rachel Nichols & Maria Taylor will be named as the hosts of NBA Countdown. As a result, it looks like Michelle Beadle will be dropped from the lineup. 

Deitsch also notes that Chauncey Billups is expected to move from the studio to a game analyst role, while Jalen Rose is believed to be returning to NBA Countdown. It remains to be seen if Paul Pierce will continue to be involved.