Ex-Raptors player Jalen Rose let go by ESPN: report

One of the few ex-Toronto Raptors players to have a prominent voice in American media is back on the market.

On Friday, the New York Post reported that Jalen Rose was cut loose by ESPN, after 10 seasons covering the NBA for the American network.

“The Post first reported Friday morning that ESPN was laying off around 20 on-air personalities,” Andrew Marchand and Ryan Glasspiegel reported Friday. “[Rose] had been a target as ESPN likes some of its emerging analysts, such as Kendrick Perkins, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson.”

“Top NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy was also let go by the network,” Marchand and Glasspiegel added.

Rose currently also works for the New York Post on a podcast titled Renaissance Man.

The reporters stated that Rose had a $3 million salary with ESPN in 2018 while hosting the morning program Get Up, though they did not add updated salary figures.

There are also reports that Rose and the other layoffs will be bought out of their current contracts with ESPN.

“They will still get their full pay. But won’t appear anymore on ESPN’s TV/radio.digital platforms,” Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez added for Front Office Sports. “If they choose to take another job, they must negotiate an exit from their current contracts with ESPN. That will likely involve giving up part of the money ESPN owes them.”

One of the most popular players in college basketball history as a member of the University of Michigan’s famous “Fab Five” contingent in the early 1990s, Rose carved out a 13-year NBA career where he played for six teams, including Toronto, before ultimately retiring after the 2006-07 season with the Phoenix Suns.

Rose averaged 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 177 games for the Raptors in his career, spending three seasons with the team from 2003-04 through 2005-06.

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