NBA Insider Jake Fischer Announces Departure From Yahoo Sports

When it comes to NBA free agency this September, all the big news seemingly has surrounded the media.

It started with ESPN legend Adrian Wojnarowski and his bombshell news that he’s retiring from the industry to become the GM of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program. That has led to countless rumors of his replacement.

Also, as we’ve reported here, the contract of The Athletic’s Shams Charania is set to expire, and Chris Haynes is leaving TNT Sports after five seasons. 

Now, no less than NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said he is leaving the outlet. Actually, he never said he’s leaving — though that is what could be deduced from his comments.

“And… this was also my last podcast as a senior NBA reporter (at Yahoo),” Fischer wrote while reposting a clip to X from a Yahoo podcast. “Next week, we’ll run my final article. Stay tuned.”

This has led to speculation that Fischer could be on track to replace Wojnarowski at ESPN — though industry insiders, who called Fischer a dark horse for Woj’s old job, are now saying Fischer is highly likely not in the running.

Also, it should be noted that Fischer didn’t actually say he was leaving Yahoo Sports. He just said it was his final podcast and column as “senior NBA reporter.” So that leads some to believe he could merely be headed for another role, while remaining at Yahoo.

Either way, we have never seen a shakeup involving top NBA insiders as we have this summer — and perhaps have never seen in it involving any sport, anywhere. For those who care about the game, and how it’s covered, it will be incredibly interesting to see how it all plays out.

As for Fischer, Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing wrote the following:

“After initially getting his start as an editor at SB Nation and producer/contributing writer at Sports Illustrated, Fischer first rose to prominence as NBA news-breaker during a nearly two-year stint at Bleacher Report. In September 2022, he joined Yahoo as a senior NBA reporter, establishing himself as one of the online outlet’s top insiders.

“Despite his status as a rising star on the ultra-competitive NBA beat, Fischer’s time at Yahoo wasn’t without controversy, as he shared multiple reports during the 2024 NBA Draft that were ultimately proven incorrect. To his credit, Fischer was transparent about the situation, apologizing to his followers for the false reports.”