Tag: Jake Fischer

5 possible replacements for Adrian Wojnarowski if ESPN does not hire Shams Charania

No one can replace Woj. But these names are worth considering.

Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the world when he announced that he was departing from ESPN to work for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.

The NBA insider has broken some of the biggest stories in the basketball world during his time as a reporter. He will leave impossibly large shoes to fill, as evidenced by the outpouring of tributes left for him as he moves into this next chapter of his career.

Many speculate that the job could go to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, a former protege of Woj who worked alongside him during their time at Yahoo. But if ESPN doesn’t make that hire, who else could get the nod?

There are some tremendously talented and well-connected folks on the NBA desk at ESPN like Ramona Shelburne and Zach Lowe, but many of them are doing excellent work and a change of direction may not make a ton of sense.

Meanwhile, here are a few other likely internal and external candidates.

1. Brian Windhorst, ESPN

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

If the decision makers at ESPN decide to keep the job internal, a likely option is veteran reporter Brian Windhorst. Already the host of The Hoop Collectivepodcast and a regular on their TV programming, Windhorst is no stranger to breaking news and creating viral moments.

2. Chris Haynes, Turner Sports (previously)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The most logical external hire aside from Charania is absolutely Chris Haynes, who has enjoyed a successful career both as a writer and on TV. He has had various stops along the way, including at ESPN, and he is currently a sports media free agent after his contract elapsed with TNT. Haynes is one of the most “likely” people to get a look from ESPN, per Front Office Sports.

3. Tim Bontemps, ESPN

(Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for AT&T)

Aside from Windhorst, another legitimate candidate who could get an internal look from ESPN is their colleague Tim Bontemps. A longtime national NBA reporter for The Washington Post, he has done very well during his time at the Worldwide Leader. Additionally, like Woj, he also attended St. Bonaventure and often gets retweets from Wojnarowski.

4. Marc Stein, The Stein Line

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Perhaps a reunion with ESPN is unlikely, especially after Marc Stein recently announced that he would join AllCity’s Dallas vertical. But it is clear that he is one of the most established reporters in the industry, especially with the stellar work he has done for his Substack. He is absolutely worthy of at least some consideration for a job like this one if they want a trusted veteran.

5. Jake Fischer, Yahoo Sports

One more name to add to the list of potential candidates ESPN assuredly has on its radar is Jake Fischer. He has made a rapid rise from Sports Illustrated to Bleacher Report and now at Yahoo, he is widely considered one of the best younger reporters covering the league at large. Even if he started out in a smaller role and not one as a “replacement” for Woj, it would be a valuable addition for someone capable of both breaking news and writing engaging longform.

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Rumor: NBA executives prepare for possibility of OKC Thunder being buyers

Rumor: NBA executives prepared for possibility of OKC Thunder being buyers

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the better teams in the league through 25 games this season. OKC is 17-8 and in sole possession of second place in the Western Conference.

If the Thunder continue to win at their current pace, they’ll be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline. According to one NBA insider, several league executives already view the Thunder that way.

Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer recently said several executives believe the Thunder will be buyers when it’s all said and done and pivot from their patience route.

“I’ve heard several people say that’s the exact opposite of what they’re going to do (remain patient.) They’re saying that publicly; they’re working behind the scenes.

Who’s gonna know for sure until the trade calls actually start to happen, this is all kind of the early preliminary stages. It’s hard to determine exactly right now how the Thunder are going to operate.

I’ll tell you, every rival executive I’ve spoken to, they are 100% prepared for the possibility for Oklahoma City to do that. Because they are second in the Western Conference right now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP candidate. Chet Holmgren, to me, is easily the Rookie of the Year. There’s too many people expecting the Thunder are going to sniff around — with all of their draft picks, there’s just such a great opportunity for them to add someone to this right now.”

The Thunder have already been linked to several players in anticipation of February’s deadline. The type of move OKC could make varies from a franchise-altering trade (Lauri Markkanen) to a borderline starter (Isaiah Stewart) to a more traditional backup rental big (Andre Drummond).

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Rumor: NBA teams interested in Josh Giddey’s trade availability

Rumor: NBA teams interested in Josh Giddey’s trade availability, could call the Thunder prior to the trade deadline.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will need to make a decision about Josh Giddey and that could happen as soon as this season’s trade deadline.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Thunder will likely start getting calls from opposing teams on Giddey’s availability. The 21-year-old is in his third season and will be eligible for a contract extension this summer.

Giddey can technically wait and enter restricted free agency in 2025, but the Thunder historically like to decide on a player’s long-term fit before reaching that point.

The fit with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was always a bit wonky. Both are ball-dominant guards. The former has risen to superstardom, so he has to have the ball in his hands more times than not when he’s on the court.

Still though, despite the odd fit, Giddey had two solid seasons to start his career for OKC. He did a fine job adjusting to playing out of character and was not a negative on the floor as he is right now.

However, Giddey is going through the worst season of his career. He’s averaging career lows in points, rebounds and assists. He has a 47.9 true-shooting percentage. He’s also averaging career lows in assist percentage and is a negative-11.9 in on-off splits.

Off the court, Giddey is being investigated by both the NBA and police in California over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor. According to Fischer, the results of the investigations can play a role in how interested teams could be — but he ultimately still expects teams to call OKC.

“Come February, opposing front offices will surely call Oklahoma City about the trade prospects of Josh Giddey as well, depending on the outcome of the NBA’s investigation regarding his alleged off-court relations. Before the social-media accusations that Giddey had an improper relationship with a minor, other front offices were beginning to pinpoint Giddey as a quiet trade possibility in his own right, this being his third season without improving into a viable 3-point shooter next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Australian playmaker becomes extension eligible this summer.”

It’ll be quite surprising if a Giddey trade materializes by the trade deadline. Even before the allegations surfaced, OKC preached patience when it came to figuring out its young core. The Thunder seem willing to stick it out with Giddey’s current on-court struggles before making any drastic decisions.

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Rumor: OKC Thunder viewed as potential suitor for Lauri Markkanen

Rumor: OKC Thunder viewed as potential suitor for Lauri Markkanen.

A quarter into the 2023-24 regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have graduated to playoff contender status. At 15-8, OKC possesses one of the best records in the league.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise to superstardom can be attributed to that. The arrival of Chet Holmgren and improvement of Jalen Williams also deserves a slice of the credit pie.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Thunder will make their first playoff appearance since 2020. This means they can be viewed as potential buyers in February’s trade deadline.

The biggest potential available player in this year’s deadline could be Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. The 26-year-old forward is fresh off a career season last year when he was named an All-Star.

This season, Markkanen is averaging 23.7 points on 48.7% shooting and 8.6 rebounds in 16 games. He’s shooting 39% from 3 on 8.5 attempts.

Markkanen is in the third year of a four-year contract. He is owed up to $35.3 million until the end of the 2024-25 season.

As the Jazz continue to fall in the standings and collect lottery balls as one of the worst teams in the league, it only makes sense Utah flips its best asset for draft capital and young players.

The Thunder have been mentioned by league personnel as one of three teams that could be a potential suitor for Markkenen, per NBA insider Jake Fischer. The other two are the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.

“The Thunder have so far been resistant to spend their draft capital and add to a burgeoning young playoff core, not wanting to rush past their breakfast and get to dinner before even thinking about lunch. But there is Davis Bertans’ $17 million salary to play with, plus OKC explored trading young guard Tre Mann prior to the season, sources said.”

Considering the tier of player Markkanen is and who the Thunder will be dealing with in Danny Ainge, odds are it’ll require more than just a package of future draft picks to acquire the All-Star forward. OKC will likely need to depart with some of the young talent that’s helped propel it to its current record.

The trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are likely off the table, but everybody else could be fair game. This means that the Jazz will likely demand some combination of Cason Wallace, Josh Giddey and Ousmane Dieng to headline any potential package to go along with several draft picks.

At that point, Sam Presti and the rest of the front office will discuss if it’s worth parting with young players on long-term controllable contracts for someone who could leave in 2025 but can make an immediate impact right now.

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OKC Thunder interested in acquiring bad salaries for draft picks, per report

The Thunder own $23.4 million in cap space until July 1.

In his latest article, Bleacher Report NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that the Oklahoma City Thunder is trying to gain draft picks by trading for bad contracts.

“Oklahoma City is still looking to absorb salary for draft picks before the new league calendar begins, sources said.”

The Thunder currently own $23.4 million in cap space that will disappear on July 1 when the 2022-23 NBA calendar year begins. If the Thunder are to add more draft picks by acquiring players on bloated salary, a trade will need to occur within the immediate days.

The Thunder currently roster 22 players and will need to trim that down to 15 full-time players and two two-way players by the time the season begins.

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Thunder, Trail Blazers talking trade that centers around Lu Dort and No. 7 pick, per Bleacher Report

Flipping an UDFA who is about to get paid for a better and younger prospect on a rookie deal sounds like a no brainer.

The Lu Dort to Portland Trail Blazers started to gain some serious momentum on Thursday as Bleacher Report NBA insider Jake Fischer mentioned the possibility.

“When I called someone from OKC this morning, they were keen on suggesting if I decided to write on this Lu Dort rumor,” said Fischer. “I should be keen to include that Portland is driving the trade talk more than OKC.”

Fischer also detailed a framework for a trade would be the Thunder sending Dort and the No. 12 pick in exchange for the Blazers’ No. 7 pick.

Just to add additional context to this trade scenario, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony has reported that the Thunder have been one of the more aggressive teams in terms of trading up with eyes on players like Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe.

While Dort is a fan favorite, flipping an undrafted free agent for the No. 7 pick would be massive value. Dort is a great player who is still young but if the Thunder can get a better and younger prospect on a rookie deal than having to pay Dort a second contract then it’s hard to say no to that.

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Bucks, Bulls interested in Vasilije Micic, per Bleacher Report

It looks like there is a market for Vasilije Micic.

Bleacher Report’s NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed in his latest article that former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is garnering trade interest from playoff contenders such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls.

“Some rival executives were prepared for Morris to be replaced by Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic, whose rights are held by OKC, as part of the Green trade. Micic, 28, led Turkish club Anadolu Efes to the 2020-21 EuroLeague title while winning the EuroLeague MVP and has garnered trade interest from several playoff teams, such as Milwaukee and Chicago, sources said.”

The Thunder acquired the rights to Micic in the Al Horford trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, who drafted him 52nd overall in the 2014 NBA draft.

It’s been reported recently by credible insiders that Micic is serious about finally making the jump to the NBA this offseason after teasing it for several years now. At 28 years old and being a guard, Micic does not fit the Thunder timeline or roster, so him coming over to play for the team seems unlikely.

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Jake Fischer said he’s heard Thunder want to trade up in draft for Jeremy Sochan but questions legitimacy of rumor

Should the Thunder trade up from 12 to draft Jeremy Sochan?

While appearing on the Topic: Thunder podcast, Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer said he’s heard that the Oklahoma City Thunder wants to move up from 12th overall in order to select Jeremy Sochan. Fischer mentions the No. 7 pick owned by the Portland Trail Blazers as a potential spot but said that he doesn’t know how attainable it is for the Thunder to actually move up.

“This is just something that’s been echoed around the league. There is talk of Jeremy Sochan being the guy that the Thunder want to trade up for,” said Fischer. “Now, again, that’s just talking.”

Fischer also said to take this reveal of information with a grain of salt due to it gaining steam around the 2022 NBA draft combine quickly — which is uncharacteristic of the historically quiet Thunder front office.

Sochan is currently scheduled to work out for the Thunder on Saturday and is projected as a lottery pick. The 2022 NBA draft will be held on June 23.

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Jake Fischer mentions the Thunder want to move up from the 12th pick in 2022 NBA draft

“There’s definitely a lot of talk of the Thunder wanting to move up from 12. So maybe that’s how they end up spending one of those future draft picks.” 

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer revealed some intel about the Oklahoma City Thunder during his latest podcast episode of “Please Don’t Aggregate This.” In the pod, Fischer said the Thunder definitely want to move up from 12th in the 2022 NBA draft.

“In this year’s draft, maybe we can see them use a future pick to move up from 12,” said Fischer. “There’s definitely a lot of talk of the Thunder wanting to move up from 12. So maybe that’s how they end up spending one of those future draft picks.”

The Thunder own four of the first 34 picks: second, 12th, 30th and 34th. Depending on how far into the top 11 the Thunder want to move, the cost will vary. If it’s just a few spots, it might take just one draft pick. If they want to make a significant jump, it’ll likely take multiple picks and a current player, such as Lu Dort.

It’s also important to note that it’s that time of the year where contradicting information and rumors swirl throughout social media. For what it’s worth, Fischer is one of the better NBA insiders in the business, so him saying this deserves some credibility.

The 2022 NBA draft will be held on June 23.

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Bleacher Report suggests the Thunder could be a trade-up candidate for 2022 NBA draft

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer suggests the Oklahoma City Thunder could be a trade-up candidate for 2022 NBA draft.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a team to watch out for during the 2022 NBA draft as potential trade up candidates, per Bleacher Reports Jake Fischer in his recent article.

“Oklahoma City, holding the Nos. 12 and 30 picks, Memphis, with picks Nos. 22 and 29, and San Antonio, owners of the ninth, 20th and 25th selections, have all been described as teams to monitor for trade-up scenarios.”

Considering the Thunder have plenty of draft commodity at 12th overall, 30th overall and 34th overall, a move up within the top 11 is a possibility if the proper trade package is there. The Thunder using all four of their draft picks is hard to see due to roster crunches, so compensation into moving up or trading 2022 picks for future picks is on the table.

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