ESPN is reportedly finalizing a deal with the Athletic's Shams Charania to replace his former mentor-turned rival Adrian Wojnarowski as the network's lead NBA news-breaker, the New York Post reports.

Charania, 30, was long expected to be the top candidate to replace Wojnarowski, 55, at ESPN when the latter announced his retirement from the news industry last month. Complex previously reported that Charania was expected to be pursued by both ESPN and NBC -- which recently reacquired NBA broadcasting rights -- when his current deal with the Athletic and FanDuelTV after his contract expired in late September.

Charania previously worked under and eventually replaced Wojnarowski as Yahoo Sports' lead NBA insider upon the latter's departure to ESPN in 2017, at which point he emerged as the veteran journalist's strongest competition for breaking NBA news. Wojnarowski announced his sudden retirement from the news industry in a statement shared on his X account on September 18.

"I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers," Wojnarowski wrote at the time. "No one has benefitted more than me from the belief, trust and generosity of others.

"The past seven years at ESPN have been a particular privilege. I'm appreciative of the company's leadership - especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas - for the understanding and acceptance of my decision to make a life change.

"After all these years of reporting on everyone's teams, I'm headed back to my own."

Wojnarowski told his fellow ESPN insiders Pete Thamel (college football), Jeff Passan (MLB) and Adam Schefter (NFL) that he's accepted a job as the general manager of the men's basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, having previously worked closely with the school in recent years.

"It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution," Wojnarowski told ESPN. "I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men's futures in ways both professionally and personally."

Wojnarowski joined ESPN as a senior NBA insider in July 2017, having previously spent nearly a decade at Yahoo Sports, which included two as the editor of The Vertical, as well as nearly 10 years at The Record, several at The Fresno Bee and The Waterbury Republican-American. The veteran journalist is reportedly "walking away from around $20 million," according to the Athletic's Andrew Marchand.

Ed Lambert