Former ESPN President Predicts Stephen A. Smith Will Join 'Inside The NBA'

No matter what happens between now and the end of the season, this will be the final year of "Inside the NBA" on TNT. The show will be moving to ESPN next season after Turner loses its NBA rights, just as the league is entering its new media rights deal.

Fans were happy to learn that the iconic postgame show will return, even after Turner loses its standing among the NBA's broadcast partners.

A former ESPN president predicts that the show will incorporate one of the network's biggest and most recognizable stars once it makes the jump.

During an episode of "Pablo Torre Finds Out," co-host David Samson explained that the show will need to find another rotation of panelists, as Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal won't be available every week.

“They’ve got one small issue with Inside the NBA … it’s not going to be Shaq and Barkley and Kenny Smith for every one of ESPN’s games,” Samson said.

“And so they are going to need what will end up being a … ‘B’ level team studio show to do pre and postgame.”

Former ESPN president John Skipper pushed back, and suggested that the second panel could include big names.

“They certainly will not want to call it that,” Skipper said to the suggestion of a "B" team for the studio show.

“They probably have to account for my friend Stephen A. Smith, who really cares about the NBA, and is not going to want to just be in the shadow of these other guys. I think you’ll see him on Inside the NBA at some point."