With her contract set to run out amid a tumultuous NBA Finals for ESPN, Maria Taylor reportedly has a roughly $3 million wage supply on the desk to stay on the community.
She additionally has different suitors.
The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reported on Thursday that ESPN has provided the 34-year-old reporter and TV host a roughly $2 million elevate over her present yearly wage of $1 million.
The report arrives because the community offers with the fallout from reporter and host Rachel Nichols’ 2020 comments suggesting that Taylor, who’s Black, was awarded her job as “NBA Countdown” host through the NBA Finals due to a range effort slightly than her deserves.
Nichols, who’s white, had shared internet hosting duties with Taylor through the 2019-20 common season and anticipated to host the present through the Finals.
Will Maria Taylor think about staying at ESPN amid fallout?
Nichols made the feedback not realizing she was being recorded whereas within the NBA bubble in June 2020. Taylor has reportedly refused to work straight with Nichols since her feedback have been leaked internally at ESPN. Her feedback went public on Sunday in a New York Times report, greater than a 12 months after they have been made and two days earlier than Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Nichols was replaced as the network’s sideline reporter for the NBA Finals by Malika Andrews after the Times report. According to the Times, ESPN did not initially self-discipline Nichols for her feedback however did droop a Black lady producer who shared the recording internally, fueling hypothesis that Taylor is sad with ESPN’s therapy of Black staff. Taylor has not addressed the problem publicly exterior of a Wednesday tweet referencing “dark times.”
Taylor’s contract ends earlier than potential Game 7
Taylor’s contract will expire on July 20, the identical day Game 6 of the NBA Finals shall be performed, if wanted. The uncertainty of Taylor’s contract standing looms massive over the community’s protection.
Will she be happy with ESPN’s reported $3 million supply? Will she be comfy working for the community after the Nichols fallout?
According to Marchand, she has choices. NBC and Amazon are each curious about hiring Taylor, in accordance with the report. Taylor has a powerful background protecting soccer and will presumably be a part of NBC’s NFL and school soccer protection or Amazon’s staff protecting the NFL with its upcoming Thursday Night Football package.
What Amazon and NBC are keen to supply Taylor was not reported.
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