ESPN fires senior NBA writer Zach Lowe: sources

ESPN has parted ways with senior NBA writer Zach Lowe as part of the network's ongoing layoffs, sources briefed on the decision said The athletic one on Thursday.

Lowe follows the previous firings of NFL prospects Robert Griffin III and Sam Ponder. The moves are part of the network's fiscal year planning, which ends at the end of September. Both ESPN and Lowe declined to comment.

Lowe's salary, which topped seven figures annually, was the biggest factor in ESPN's decision, according to sources briefed on the terms of the contract. He is expected to be the last to be released this round.

Lowe had been with ESPN for 12 years, starting at long-form site Grantland. In addition to writing and appearing on television, he also hosted the podcast series “Lowe Post.”

ESPN's NBA coverage is in a state of transition, with insider Adrian Wojnarowski making a surprise retirement and the network still considering whether to bolster its lead broadcast team of Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

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(Photo: Mike Windle / Getty Images for ESPN)