Maria Taylor Might Not Even Cover The Entirety Of The NBA Finals

Maria Taylor Might Not Even Cover The Entirety Of The NBA Finals

As if there was not enough news surrounding Maria Taylor. Following the bombshell about Rachel Nichols’ insensitive comments towards the NBA and football analyst, there is even more to digest surrounding the pending free agent. Reports have now come out that Taylor might not even be working for ESPN through the conclusion of the 2021 NBA Finals. Her contract is up on July 20th of this year, the same date as a potential Game 6 in the Finals if necessary. The incredibly talented Taylor has been looking for a salary that mirrors the likes of Stephen A. Smith. ESPN’s latest offer of $3 million per year is not anywhere close to cutting it. One can imagine how difficult it must be to navigate contract negotiations in the midst of a scandal like the one we are currently seeing.

Taylor does have a number of options at her disposal. The Post reported that NBC and Amazon are the two main players for Taylor were she to leave ESPN. With no end in sight to the fallout of Nichols’ comments, that does seem like the most likely outcome. Taylor’s departure would continue with a mass exodus of talent flooding out of ESPN’s doors, including the likes of Kenny Mayne, Ariel Helwani, and others. It will certainly put more eggs on the face of the worldwide leader of sports. A change in coverage of the NBA Finals halfway through the series would be awkward at best. I am sure network executives are now hoping that the Phoenix Suns can pull off the sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks.

A lot can be said about ESPN and the people working there. Regardless of Taylor’s decision, there appears to be plenty more in store for Jimmy Pitaro and company.

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