Marchand: Jim Spanarkel heads to YES Network studio for new pre-game gig

There’s been no official announcement, but Andrew Marchand of the Post reports that Jim Spanarkel, Ian Eagle’s long-time sideman, will be headed to the YES Network studio as the network adds a new feature to his coverage and makes more room for Sarah Kustok and Richard Jefferson.

Marchand reports that Spanarkel who’s been a Nets TV analyst for 30 years, “will shift from games to strictly studio,” joining Nets studio hosts for both pre-game and post-game work, the pre-game gig a new feature. Spanarkel’s game workload has dropped off in recent years as the Nets brought on first Kustok then last year RJ.

In addition to Spanarkel, Frank Isola — who also has a talk show on SiriusXM’s NBA channel and writes for The Athletic — will do about 25 studio dates, again working pre- and post-game.

Eagle and Ryan Ruocco will continue to handle play-by-play. For some big games, YES will go with a three-person team of Kustok and Jefferson with Eagle or Ruocco.

Eagle will also do TNT games on Tuesday night for the first time. He has called NBA Playoff games for TNT and NBA TV since 2010.

Spanarkel has been with the Nets since the 1980’s, first joining the team in 1987. Three times, he won a New York Emmy for his work. In addition to his YES work, Spanarkel provides commentary on CBS Sports’ regular season and NCAA Men’s college basketball tournament coverage.

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