Ranking ESPN's NBA insider candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski

Adrian Wojnarowski broke the biggest news of the NBA offseason Wednesday by dropping the most consequential Woj bomb ever: He's retiring from ESPN and the news industry to become the general manager of the men's basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his beloved alma mater.

Wojnarowski's decision stunned the basketball world and reportedly surprised ESPN leadership. Once the initial shock wore off, sports media observers didn't take long to speculate who could take his place as the network's No. 1 NBA insider.

Here's a ranking of the best available options.

1. Shams Charania

Charania, Wojnarowski's former protege and longtime competitor, is the most obvious candidate. He scored his share of breaking news victories while going head-to-head with Woj and would immediately fill the network's NBA information void. Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy reported Wednesday that ESPN will likely speak to the 30-year-old Charania, whose contracts with The Athletic, FanDuel and Stadium are all up.

2. Chris Haynes

He's another free agent who'll be considered by ESPN, according to McCarthy. The 42-year-old is well-respected for his work in print and on camera and is available after the expiration of his five-year deal as a TNT sideline reporter. Like Wojnarowski, Haynes' resume includes a stint as Yahoo Sports' national NBA reporter.

3. Brian Windhorst

The 46-year-old Windhorst, who made his name covering LeBron James during his high school days, is already all over ESPN's NBA programming, whether it's doing remote hits on "SportsCenter" or participating in roundtable discussions on "NBA Today." He's already taken steps getting close to the future face of the league, Victor Wembanyama, having covered the 7-foot-4 French phenom during the draft process.

4. The next Woj protege

ESPN already has a solid stable of NBA news breakers with Windhorst, Ramona Shelburne, Tim Bontemps, Tim McMahon and Ohm Youngmisuk. But even collectively, they won't replace Wojnarowski. Perhaps there's a young reporter who can be groomed as the next Woj. That scenario is under consideration, according to The Athletic, with the network creating a new top insider and Wojnarowski serving as a mentor.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro knows he has giant shoes to fill with Wojnarowski's departure. Pat McAfee has already cast his vote for Charania, who's a regular guest on McAfee's show.

.@ShamsCharania is the answer #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/1vzpyTEEMj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 18, 2024