Another prominent ESPN figure could be moving on. The network saw layoffs of around 20 under-contract big-name personalities Friday, including Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman, Suzy Kobler and more. Their ongoing cost-cutting has also included mentions of not renewing expiring contracts, and that seems to be part of what’s likely to be Vince Carter’s last couple of months with the company.
As per Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Carter could be leaving ESPN this summer. With his contract up in September, McCarthy notes that Carter “probably” won’t be offered a new deal after three years at ESPN.
NEWS: ESPN is unlikely to renew Vince Carter's contract in September, a source told FOS.
The 8x NBA All-Star joined the network just three years ago.@MMcCarthyREV's story » https://t.co/WwApJ5cMgM pic.twitter.com/3F1dsNPZRG
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 30, 2023
Unfortunately for Carter, as McCarthy writes in his piece, the 46-year-old “fits the bill of the type of on-air talents ESPN is looking to part ways with.” He’s an expensive, big name who isn’t often on the air, which is why The Worldwide Leader parted ways with the likes of Keyshaw Johnson, Steve Young and Matthew Hasselbeck. Different sport, but you get the point.
Cater appears on pillar ESPN shows, which include, but is not limited to, NBA Countdown, College Game Day, NBA Today, Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter. Carter also works remotely, so it’s a bit difficult for him to be at the forefront of any of the network’s studio shows.
His most memorable moment at ESPN did come when he was on the set of First Take alongside Jack Harlow and Sinqua Walls, who were in the studio to promote their new reboot of White Men Can’t Jump. The conversation curiously turned to Frédéric Weis, and the White Men Can’t Jump stars relished at the opportunity to roast Weis, even as Carter detailed his troubled life after the “Dunk of Death.”
While Carter wasn’t a part of the latest round of layoffs that included the several on-air personalities mentioned above, the timing of this report suggests that the 46-year-old won’t be too far behind his now-former colleagues.
