ESPN makes decision on Richard Jefferson

ESPN has made a decision on one member of its top NBA broadcast team with the new season roughly three months away.

Richard Jefferson has an agreement in place to return to ESPN, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The decision likely means Jefferson will remain on NBA Finals broadcasts alongside Mike Breen moving forward.

Jefferson just finished his first season as part of ESPN’s top crew alongside Breen and Doris Burke. The group received mixed reviews, and the perception remains that ESPN has failed to sufficiently replace Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy since letting them go after the 2023 season.

While Breen and Jefferson are safe, it remains unclear if Burke will join them. Reports indicated that ESPN was considering replacing her, with Tim Legler likely to take over her role if the network does decide to go that route.

Jefferson has publicly supported Burke, and does not appear eager for ESPN to make any changes. It is unclear when ESPN might make a final decision on Burke’s return.

Jefferson joined ESPN in 2019, first as a studio analyst and later as a game analyst. He spent 17 seasons in the NBA before that, and remains best remembered for his time with the New Jersey Nets.