Longtime Golden State Warriors reporter Anthony Slater is set to leave The Athletic and join ESPN later this summer, as reported by Front Office Sports. This transition brings a significant voice to ESPN’s NBA coverage. Slater will keep his focus on the Warriors while also expanding his reporting to cover the broader league.

Slater’s departure signals another big change at The Athletic’s Bay Area bureau. This office has experienced numerous staff changes over the past two years. Former colleagues Tim Kawakami and David Lombardi joined the San Francisco Standard in 2023. Meanwhile, Ethan Strauss left in 2022 to start his subscription service. The once-trailblazing Bay Area team at The Athletic played a crucial role in the site’s early subscription success, especially during the Warriors’ championship runs.

Before his time at The Athletic, Slater reported on the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he closely followed the early careers of stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. At The Athletic, he became a prominent voice in the outlet’s Warriors coverage, hosting popular podcasts such as Warriors Plus Minus and All-82, and providing in-depth reporting during multiple title runs. He also contributed to national playoff and Finals coverage.

His move to ESPN comes as the network plans to refresh its NBA team. Recently, ESPN lost several notable talents, including Zach Lowe, Adrian Wojnarowski, and Kevin Arnovitz. The network is focusing more on regional coverage, with Slater joining current contributors Tim MacMahon, Tim Bontemps, and Kendra Andrews. Each of them will cover specific areas or teams, rather than traditional national roles.

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The NBA media scene is getting more competitive by the day. With big players like NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video stepping into the ring just before the new media rights cycle kicks off in 2025, ESPN is making moves to keep its crown as the go-to source for NBA news and analysis by bringing in seasoned reporters.

On the flip side, Slater’s exit leaves a gap at The Athletic’s Warriors desk. Although the New York Times-owned outlet still focuses on major-market teams, its strategy has shifted, sometimes leaving specific team roles vacant as it undergoes reorganization. Still, given that Golden State remains one of the league's most beloved franchises, we can expect some form of coverage for the team to carry on.

Slater’s move to ESPN marks not just a personal milestone for him but also signals a larger shift in the NBA media landscape as networks gear up for what’s next.