Charles Barkley is one of the most popular figures in sports media and perhaps the most famous Auburn alumnus in the country. But he could soon be adding to his long list of accolades that he’s among the most sought-after ‘free agents’ in sports media.

Barkley, who is one of the faces of TNT’s iconic pre and postgame program ‘Inside the NBA’, could soon find himself looking for a new gig as it appears the network is set to lose the television rights to the NBA.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has stated that negotiations are ongoing, and it’s still uncertain which network will secure the rights, but he expressed confidence that Barkley and his colleagues will continue their current roles.

“We’re never gonna lose Charles and Kenny [Smith],” Silver said. “They’re always going to be covering the NBA…I can’t imagine those guys [on ‘Inside the NBA’] won’t be performing and announcing together in the future, and we all love them.”

During an appearance on the Dan Patrick show, Barkley said that he is more upset for the crew on TNT and those who will lose jobs rather than himself due to mismanagement of the deal.

Charles Barkley says morale sucks amid the uncertainty of "Inside the NBA" moving forward. And discusses the possibility of hiring the crew to his production company, continuing to do the show, and selling it. pic.twitter.com/gLoiKm7SM3

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 23, 2024

“More sucks, plain and simple….I just feel so bad for the people I work with, Dan. These people have families, and I just really feel bad for them right now. These people I work with, they screwed this thing up, clearly, and we don’t have zero idea what’s gonna happen. I don’t feel good,” Barkley said.

There has been speculation about Barkley moving to ESPN and making regular appearances on the popular show “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith. An ESPN deal would likely feature Barkley on the network’s NBA coverage as well.

However, Barkley has made it clear he is not interested in the same level of commitment across ESPN’s broad range of content.

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“They’re not gonna work me like a dog,” Barkley said. “ESPN Radio, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes. I mean, HELL NO! As much as I love ESPN, I just turned 61. The notion that I’m going to be working like a dog into my mid-60s, that’s definitely not going to happen.”

But wherever Barkley goes, he is going to get paid.

His last TNT contract he signed was worth over $100 million and could have approached up to $200 million over the 10-year commitment according to the original report.