Richard Jefferson has an agreement in place to return to ABC/ESPN, where he is expected to continue on NBA Finals broadcasts with Mike Breen, while Doris Burke’s spot on the network’s top team remains in question, sources briefed on the discussions said.
Jefferson, 45, was elevated to the No. 1 team last season after previously being on the network’s No. 2 team.
The official contract is not yet signed. ESPN declined to comment on Jefferson’s agreement.
Amazon Prime Video, which begins its coverage of the NBA in the fall, had some interest in Jefferson at one point.
If ESPN were to replace Burke, Tim Legler is considered the leading candidate. The network could also choose a two-person booth.
Before the finals, The Athletic reported that Burke’s spot on the No. 1 team was not guaranteed. A Hall of Famer, Burke had been on the top trio since ESPN fired its lead analysts, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, during the summer of 2023.
Since then, Breen and Burke were briefly paired with Doc Rivers before he returned to coaching with the Milwaukee Bucks. After Rivers, ESPN selected JJ Redick over Jefferson to replace Rivers. But after the 2024 NBA Finals, Redick took the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job.
Following The Athletic’s story in June, many publicly supported Burke, most notably Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Before his team played in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he took time to address the report and praise Burke.
Jefferson, for his part, showed up at the Women’s College World Series, which was in Oklahoma City like the NBA Finals, sporting a T-shirt that read, “My Favorite Broadcaster is Doris Burke.”
Championship mindset 🥎💍@Rjeff24 talks about what it takes to win on the biggest stage. pic.twitter.com/uPPxA3Ylph
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 7, 2025
Next season, ESPN will have 20 fewer games during the regular season, making it easier for the network to lean on its two top teams. Breen, Dave Pasch, Ryan Ruocco and Mark Jones will be the lead play-by-play announcers, while Jefferson, Burke, Legler and Jay Bilas have been the top analysts.
(Photo: Peter Casey / USA Today Sports)