Report: TNT is still fighting to save its NBA rights

TNT is making a last-ditch effort to retain its NBA rights and save its signature studio show "Inside the NBA."

On Tuesday, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported Warner Brothers Discovery, TNT's parent company, could still reach a new deal with the NBA despite competition from NBC.

"With the NBA already reaching a 'framework' for deals with ESPN and Amazon, according to The Athletic, WBD is still the underdog," wrote McCarthy. "But it's working to pull off a last-second buzzer-beater that would enable TNT to save its 40-year relationship with the NBA. The only sure winner is the NBA, which is poised to nearly triple the value of its long-term rights cycle to $75 billion from $25 billion."

McCarthy added TNT won't receive the league's best package, which includes rights to the NBA Finals, but it could obtain another package with a conference final every other year. 

WBD CEO David Zaslav recently told Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal it has matching rights for third-party offers. However, Alex Sherman of CNBC recently indicated the NBA's legal team is determining whether it could reject a potential match. 

If WBD and the league fail to agree, "Inside the NBA," which features Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal, will probably end.

Johnson reportedly plans to stay at TNT even if it loses its NBA rights. Barkley, meanwhile, may explore other options. 

"I love TNT. I love everybody at TNT. They've been great for me," Barkley said in a recent appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show." "But I don't want to be in limbo if we lose the NBA. That wouldn't be fair to me."