Shams Charania is leaving The Athletic and joining ESPN as a veteran NBA insider

NBA insider Shams Charania is leaving the club The athlete to join ESPN, he said Monday.

Charania's move came after longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski stepped away from his role at ESPN in September.

“I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s lead NBA insider. “I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide,” Charania said in a post on X.

I am honored to join ESPN as the company's Senior NBA Insider. I can't wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide. pic.twitter.com/sBDFGIpkb6

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 7, 2024

Charania, who has built a large following through breaking news of trades, signings, injuries, draft picks, coaching changes and more, joined the team The athlete in August 2018 after serving as Yahoo! Sports' National NBA Insider from 2015 to 2018. As The athlete As previously reported, Charania's contract was expiring and he attracted interest from new NBA rights holder NBC. He also previously worked for Stadium, a streaming network, but will not be taking on that role again.

Although Charania, 30, primarily covered NBA news, he also covered stories from the NFL, WNBA and men's and women's college basketball, including revealing the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, which was Bryce Young, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers.

Charania is a native of Chicago and graduated from Loyola University.

Wojnarowski, 55, left ESPN to become general manager of the men's basketball team at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater.

Before Charania's move The athlete reported that ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan emerged as a candidate to fill Wojnarowski's role. According to sources briefed on his contract, Passan earns around $1 million per year. Wojnarowski earned around $7 million per season, leaving $20 million left when he retired from journalism.

(Photo: Mat Hayward/Getty Images)