Longtime ESPN NBA Analyst Leaving Company After 8 Years originally appeared on The Spun.
One of ESPN’s top analysts in NBA coverage is set to leave the company after nearly a decade with the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
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On Thursday, NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony announced that he is leaving ESPN to focus on his DraftExpress company. He stated that, while ESPN made him an offer to stay with the company, he turned it down. Givony said that he will continue to build DraftExpress and thanked ESPN for his time with them.
“My time at ESPN has come to an end. Thanks to everyone, past and present, who helped me grow professionally the past 8 years. Although ESPN offered an extension, we were unable to find alignment on my value to the company. I will continue to analyze the NBA Draft, college, high school, and international basketball, as I have the past 20+ years, at the company I founded, DraftExpress, alongside a fantastic team. See you at the U18 European Championship in Belgrade this weekend!” he wrote on X.
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Basketball fans have applauded Givony for going off on his own and many are now criticizing ESPN for allowing an analyst as talented as him to walk away:
“What a loss for ESPN. You are the best in the business Jonathan. You will find success wherever you are,” NBA reporter Brett Siegel wrote on X.
“Letting Givony go but paying Kendrick Perkins millions? Do better @ESPN,” wrote another.
“Your analysis of draft picks and prospects is always thorough and detailed. I strive to be half as great a journalist as you are when I grow up! Good luck with your next chapter of your journey!” wrote a third.
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“Huge loss for ESPN. Know your worth.”
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 28: ESPN logo on a camera cover prior to the UFL football game between the St. Louis Battlehawks and the DC Defenders on April 28, 2024, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
“Remarkable that ESPN keeps making the same mistake of letting go of knowledgeable people and retaining overpaid blowhards.”
Givony has been an influential analyst in basketball not just at the NBA level, but at the international level. With over 235,000 followers, he’s as big a source of information on the biggest stories in basketball as anyone outside of Shams Charania.
ESPN’s loss will be someone else’s gain, but especially Givony’s.
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Related: Prominent ESPN College Basketball Analyst Leaving Network
Longtime ESPN NBA Analyst Leaving Company After 8 Years first appeared on The Spun on Jul 24, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.