The NBA Finals are tied 2-2, the pressure’s off the charts — and while Malika Andrews is front and center guiding ESPN’s coverage, her own future is quietly becoming one of the biggest off-court stories this summer. With her contract reportedly nearing its end, and networks like NBC and Amazon circling, the face of ESPN’s NBA broadcasts could soon be calling a very different game.

But, with all that swirling, Malika just gave us a small, telling glimpse into her world, a moment with her husband that seemed to reveal her true feelings about being right at the heart of the basketball universe.

The whole thing went down on Instagram, right before the massive Game 5. Malika dropped a series of photos, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the Finals atmosphere in Indiana. There were shots of her with fans, and a classic picture with her colleagues, Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins. It was the kind of cool, insider content that fans love to see.

But the first photo in the set is what got people talking. It’s Malika on the ESPN set, looking like the pro she is, but standing next to her is her husband, fellow ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin. And he’s holding the Larry O’Brien trophy with a huge, happy grin on his face. Malika’s right there with him, sharing the moment. Her caption was perfect: “After tonight, someone will be one win away from lifting the Larry O’Brien for real Until then, we got to borrow it! Game 5 of the NBA Finals is tonight!! I have a feeling this could go 7 games.”

Her prediction of a 7-game series makes sense to any fan watching this back-and-forth battle. With OKC stealing Game 4 on the road, the Pacers have to be feeling the heat to protect their home court in Game 5. But the stats tell a different story. In Finals history, when a series is tied 2-2, the team that wins Game 5 has a higher chance of winning. For two teams that haven’t won a title, this is a massive swing game.

Moreover, that picture with her husband is more than just a cute photo, though. It’s kind of their whole story in one shot. They’re both ESPN reporters, and they basically built their careers together at the same company. While he became a trusted veteran on the sidelines, Malika quickly rose to become the main host for the NBA. So seeing them there, at the top of their game, with the championship trophy… it just hits different knowing her ESPN contract is up this fall. Yes, she’s entering the free market agency very soon and there has been no word from ESPN or her about a contract extension.

So, what’s next for her? And get this: she’s not the only top NBA talent at ESPN facing an uncertain future. According to Front Office Sports, veteran reporter Brian Windhorst’s contract is also up this summer. There’s been talk she could make a move to a show like Good Morning America, following the “Robin Roberts model”.

The end of an era: How you watch the NBA is about to change forever

Malika’s situation isn’t happening in a bubble. The whole world of watching the NBA on TV is about to change, and it’s all because of a massive new $77 billion TV deal that kicks in next season. For years, it’s been simple: you watch games on TNT or ESPN. That’s about to end. TNT is out of the picture for the first time since 1989, and two new heavy hitters, NBC and Amazon Prime Video, are stepping in alongside ESPN.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver framed the move as a way to maximize reach. “Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans,” Silver said in a statement. That accessibility, however, comes with a new price tag for fans. For the first time, a significant chunk of the NBA’s national games, including playoff matchups, will be exclusively on streaming platforms. Gone are the days of just flipping between two channels. Now, watching the NBA will require more intention—and more subscriptions.

This also means that the competition for the best hosts and commentators is heating up. For the first time in a long time, there are more high-profile seats available than there are big names to fill them, which is why a pending free agent like Malika Andrews is in such an interesting spot.

So, where does ESPN fit in all this? They aren’t just sitting back and watching. Their biggest move was figuring out a way to license TNT’s beloved Inside the NBA. In a deal nobody saw coming, the show with Charles Barkley, Shaq, and the crew will now air on ESPN and ABC, even though the guys will still technically be TNT employees. It’s a huge get for ESPN, as it keeps the most popular studio show in sports under its umbrella. But it’s also the very reason Malika’s NBA Countdown could get demoted.

At the same time, ESPN is playing defense. Knowing they have new competition, they’ve been adding talent, bringing on guys like Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem. They’re also reportedly trying to hire away top reporters like Anthony Slater from The Athletic. It’s clear they’re trying to build a deep roster to compete with the fresh-faced broadcasts that NBC and Amazon are putting together. NBC has already brought on Carmelo Anthony and Reggie Miller, while Amazon has snagged Stan Van Gundy, creating brand new studio teams from scratch.

For fans, this means the way we watch basketball is about to feel very different. More games will be on streaming services like Peacock and Prime Video, so you’ll have to hunt for them instead of just flipping channels. And instead of just the two broadcast styles we’ve known for decades, we’re about to get three. It’s the start of a brand new era, and Malika Andrews finds herself right at the center of it all. Her next move will be one of the first major dominoes to fall.