Jeff Passan emerges as potential replacement for Adrian Wojnarowski ESPN

He joined ESPN in 2019 after working for Yahoo Sports and earns around $1 million per year, according to the report.

Wojnarowski, long the top news anchor in the NBA media, unexpectedly retired from his ESPN career earlier this month to become general manager of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team.

He gave up about $20 million, the outlet reported.

“Growing up two miles from the ESPN campus, the son of a factory worker, I always dreamed of making a living as a sports journalist,” Wojnarowski wrote on X when he announced his decision. “The Hartford Courant gave me my first piece 37 years ago, and I’ve never stopped chasing the thrill.

“This craft has changed my life, but I have decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment my role requires and it is an investment I am no longer forced to make. Time is not inexhaustible and I want to use it in a way that is more meaningful to me personally.”

Passan paid him a heartwarming tribute at the time.

“I have been fortunate to spend more than 20 years in this business and work with countless talented people,” Passan wrote on X. “Adrian Wojnarowski is the best. Period. An incomparable reporter. A gifted wordsmith. A storyteller who is second to none. He’s Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, walking at the top of his game.”

Shams Charania of The Athletic also remains a top candidate for the job, The Athletic added.