The news broke on Saturday that Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN have struck a deal that will see WBD continue to produce the iconic Inside the NBA studio show, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, after this season and licensed it to ESPN.

TNT will no longer air NBA games after this season, but Inside the NBA will remain a TNT property and air on ESPN beginning in the 2025-26 season.

However, as of now, there is a problem with the distribution. Sources say O’Neal’s contract with WBD expires on July 1, 2025.

O’Neal has a slightly different deal than his three castmates because they do other things for WBD, including the NCAA tournament. Shaq’s deal is strictly NBA and expires in about eight months.

While sources say Shaq wants to stay on the show, he is frustrated that there have been congratulations and press releases claiming that Inside the NBA remains the same while currently out of contract to be with the company next season.

Given the unique offering that will see TNT produce Inside the NBA while on ESPN, O’Neal could have plenty of options to explore. He could stay with the series while he works out a deal with Amazon or NBC, which will become the NBA’s new partners next season. He could also sign a deal with ESPN in addition to WBD.

There are many paths O’Neal could go down, but for NBA fans, the hope is that he re-signs with WBD.