ESPN layoffs: Senior NBA writer out after 12 years (report)

The wave of layoffs at ESPN continued on Thursday.

World-leading sports journalist and longtime NBA writer and podcaster Zach Lowe has parted ways after 12 years, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. The “biggest factor” in ESPN's decision was Lowe's seven-figure salary.

Lowe is the latest in a string of names no longer at ESPN, including Robert Griffin III and Sam Ponder, who were fired from ESPN in August.

Similar to Griffin and Ponder, Marchand said Lowe's firing comes just before the end of ESPN's fiscal year, which is due later this month.

Lowe joined the long-form website Grantland in 2012. When it closed in 2015, ESPN – Grantland's parent company – took over Lowe's contract before re-signing him for several years in 2016. In addition to his NBA articles and analysis, Lowe also hosted the weekly podcast “Lowe Post.”

ESPN's NBA coverage suffered a major blow earlier this month when longtime insider Adrian Wojnarowski surprisingly announced his departure from the network to become general manager of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball program in New York.

There are also questions about whether the network will add another name to its lead NBA broadcast team of Doris Burke and Mike Breen after Doc Rivers suddenly left the network to become coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

It is unclear what is next for Lowe.