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The idea of a sports analyst/journalist making the move to an actual front office has always been something that’s been kicked around by professional sports teams.
John Hollinger, a former ESPN columnist who famously created the PER rating, served as the Grizzlies VP of Basketball Operations from 2012 to 2019. Baseball writer Keith Law made the jump from journalist to the Toronto Blue Jays front office, while football analyst Mike Lombardi has also bounced back and forth between both industries.
In recent years, the likes of ESPN’s Louis Riddick (who has a previously established background in NFL front offices) and Mina Kimes have either interviewed or were reportedly considered for positions in NFL front offices.
The latest reporter to join the elite echelon of sports journalists/analysts who are so good at their job professional organizations try to scoop them up is Brian Windhorst, as a new report indicates that Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti tried to bring Windy to OKC as an ‘information guy.’
“One thing I can report is that a little over a decade ago, he actually explored our extremely plugged-in buddy, Brian Windhorst, away from ESPN, to work as an information guy for the Thunder,” reported Pablo Torre.
“And the question of like, ‘Why would he do that?’ The reason that Sam Presti kicked the tires on hiring Brian Windhorst from ESPN is that information to Sam Presti is currency. It is an edge, a competitive advantage. And you don’t surrender that information.”
.@PabloTorre reports that a little over a decade ago, Sam Presti explored hiring @WindhorstESPN away from ESPN to work as “an information guy” for the OKC Thunder. 👀 pic.twitter.com/c0dhj2awH4
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) June 12, 2025
Windhorst, 47 years old, is an Akron, Ohio native who began his career covering the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal, which led to him establishing a reputation of being a LeBron James “insider.”
Windhorst has been at ESPN since 2010, which coincided with LeBron’s move to the Miami Heat that same year.