With the start of the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, ESPN has announced its broadcast plans for the upcoming campaign.

And when it comes to replacing JJ Redick on the No. 1 team, that plan still remains open.

While the Worldwide Leader announced that play-by-play man Mike Breen and analyst Doris Burke will return as expected, a possible third person at the helm has yet to be announced. After firing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in the summer of 2023, ESPN entered the 2023-24 season with Breen, Burke and Doc Rivers in the top broadcast booth before Rivers left midseason to become head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. The network replaced Rivers with Redick, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite having to consider a replacement for Redick for months, it appears ESPN will either stick with a two-person booth or wait until later this season to make a final decision on a full-time third-rounder. Last month, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported on his podcast: The main event with Andrew Marchand, that the network would use the first half of the season to try out different combinations before making a decision on how to replace Redick.

On a related note, it’s worth noting that ESPN also announced that former studio analyst Tim Legler and college basketball analyst Jay Bilas will be calling NBA games this season, with Marchand previously reporting that both analysts – as well as Richard Jefferson and Grant Hill – have emerged as potential candidates to replace Redick. Jefferson will also return as a game analyst for ESPN this season, while Hill — who calls the NCAA men’s Final Four for Turner — was not mentioned in the press release.

Other returning game analysts include Bob Myers, Stephanie White and Hubie Brown, while former ESPN Radio analyst Cory Alexander will also call games.

In terms of play-by-play, ESPN’s roster for the upcoming season includes returnees Ryan Ruocco, Dave Pasch and Mark Jones, with former Minnesota Timberwolves announcer Michael Grady also joining the network’s coverage. Meanwhile, Lisa Salters and Cassidy Hubbarth, Katie George, Monica McNutt, Jorge Sedano and Angel Gray will each return as sideline reporters.

Things will remain largely the same in the studio, with Malika Andrews taking over the moderation NBA countdown on ABC alongside Stephen A. Smith, Myers and Kendrick Perkins, with Michael Wilbon and Shams Charania (replacing Adrian Wojnarowski) appearing regularly. As for them NBA countdown Episodes airing exclusively on ESPN are hosted by Andrews alongside Chiney Ogwumike, Perkins and Jefferson, with Brian Windhorst and Legler contributing.

Notably, ESPN’s release did not feature any play-by-play announcers with broadcast analysts – not even Breen and Burke – which contrasts with the way the network announced its plans for last season. That only lends credence to the idea that the first half of the season will be a work in progress — especially when it comes to ESPN’s top NBA broadcast booth.

(ESPN PR)