Some familiar faces are reportedly joining Amazon Prime Video.
TNT NBA analyst Stan Van Gundy is joining Amazon Prime Video in the same role starting next season, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. It is not clear where Van Gundy will rank on the streamer’s depth chart.
Van Gundy — who has been with TNT since 2019, save for a brief stint coaching the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2020-21 season — is a top analyst for TNT. He has joined Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller on the network’s conference final coverage the past three seasons and there is no reason to expect a change for this season, TNT’s last with the NBA.
It is not clear how joining Amazon would impact his role on CBS/TNT Sports’ coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball coverage.
Not long after the Marchand report, independent writer Marc Stein broke the news that Prime plans to hire Steve Nash as a game and studio analyst, working in the latter role alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and host Taylor Rooks. Nash played with Nowitzki in Dallas and coached Griffin in Brooklyn.
He previously worked as a TNT studio analyst, but not on basketball — instead holding that role on network’s short-lived UEFA Champions League coverage from 2018-20. Earlier this year, he replaced JJ Redick as co-host of LeBron James’ “Mind the Game” podcast.
A bit later Tuesday, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker are also expected to join Amazon, with Wade working both in the studio and on games, and Parker working in the studio on both the NBA and WNBA.
Wade was NBC’s lead men’s basketball analyst during last year’s Olympics and previously served as a TNT NBA studio analyst. Parker has primarily served as a studio analyst for TNT but is currently calling playoff games alongside Spero Dedes.
Amazon is also said to be interested in ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, who has ascended to the network’s lead broadcast team this season.
On the play-by-play side, it has been widely reported for months that Ian Eagle will be Amazon’s lead voice. The streamer is also said to be in talks with Harlan — also widely reported for months — and Michael Grady.
Marchand also reported that NBC is likely to use Terry Gannon on NBA play-by-play, in addition to the already announced selections of Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle. Gannon was ESPN’s lead WNBA voice for a time in the 2000s. The network is also said to have “already signed up” Carmelo Anthony for a studio role, though that has yet to be announced.
