Ernie Johnson not going anywhere even if TNT loses NBA rights

Host Ernie Johnson would remain at TNT even if Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't retain NBA rights after next season, according to a Thursday report from Sports Business Journal. 

Sources told the outlet that Johnson "would stay with Turner" and work as the lead studio role for the men's March Madness and do play-by-play for Major League Baseball broadcasts if the NBA takes its ball and heads to NBC, which is said to be planning a $2.5 billion-per-year bid for an NBA broadcast package.

Charles Barkley has an opt-out clause in his contract if Warner Bros.

Discovery loses its NBA rights deal after the 2024-25 season and could land at another network once the dust settles over the TV rights bidding war. 

Shaquille O'Neal, another beloved member of the "Inside the NBA" crew, likely wouldn't continue to do TV, according to the SBJ report. 

And Johnson is "Turner Sports. Period." 

Whether Warner Bros. Discovery will retain its NBA TV rights package seems to be down to a two-horse race, with ESPN said to have a handshake deal done with the NBA, and Amazon reportedly having the framework of an agreement in place with the league. 

That leaves NBC and Turner left to duke it out for a piece of the piece, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav essentially being the deciding factor by either matching or topping NBC's bid — or not. 

"My bet is that Zaslav will overpay to keep it, goes ballistic to keep it," a source told SBJ. "But I think NBC is the front-runner right now or just got in the front. I don't know if [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver's doing that to make Zaslav come in with a big number. It's got to be big. Like, it's got to blow NBC's number away."

The current NBA TV rights deals run through the end of next season.