David Yapkowitz Articles - Page 19

LOS ANGELES – When Dorian Finney-Smith opted to leave the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the team suddenly found themselves with more at their disposal in terms of free agency money. At the onset of the free agency negotiation period, the Lakers quickly came to terms with Jake LaRavia, one of the more intriguing […]

The Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason got off to a surprising start when it was announced that the team would waive and stretch Damian Lillard’s contract. That wasn’t the only shocker for the Bucks as they then turned around and agreed to terms in free agency with division rival Myles Turner with the cap space they acquired […]

When the 2025-26 NCAA season begins, the Iowa Hawkeyes will have a new face at the helm with the hiring of Ben McCollum as head coach. McCollum made sure to tamper expectations for the upcoming season amid a roster overhaul with ten players leaving via the transfer portal. But Iowa will have an unexpected reinforcement […]

To say the Houston Rockets had a strong offseason is a major understatement. The Rockets transformed themselves into a legitimate contender with the trade for Kevin Durant. Not only that, but the Rockets had a strong NBA free agency period as well with the signing of Dorian Finney-Smith as well as bringing back veterans Aaron […]

The Phoenix Mercury are coming off a 98-89 loss to the Dallas Wings, a game in which Satou Sabally was booed by the fans upon her return to Dallas for the first time as an opponent. The Mercury will get another crack at the Wings on Monday, this time on their home court. But Satou […]

NBA Summer League is a time for newly drafted players to showcase their talents, as well as the rookies of yesteryear to show what they’ve been working on in the offseason. There’s also room for highlight reel plays. During the Miami Heat’s summer league game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Kel’el Ware threw […]

LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers begin NBA Summer League at the California Classic on Saturday, team roster will have a couple of familiar faces in Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. Both James and Knecht played in summer league last season, and with a year of NBA experience under their belts, this time […]

The 2024-25 season was a whirlwind of newness for the USC Trojans. Eric Musselman took over in his first season as head coach, and the roster was essentially put together on the fly with only one returner amid a big group of transfers. This season, there are a couple more returners alongside the incoming transfers […]

In less than two weeks after the Florida Gators won the national championship, they lost a player who was expected to play a major role for the 2025-26 season. Denzel Aberdeen, a key backup guard for Florida during their title run, opted to hit the transfer portal and commit to Kentucky. There wasn’t much known […]

The Denver Nuggets have been lauded so far by fans and media alike for having a very strong offseason. Depth was one of the team’s biggest issues, but they addressed that in a major way, adding key veterans such as Bruce Brown, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas. While the Valanciunas situation is […]

The NBA free agency period is nearing the end of its first week, with players and teams finally able to officially sign contracts on Sunday, July 6. There are still a few big names available on the free agency market, with one of them being Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga whose name […]

The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the more quiet teams during the NBA free agency period so far. In fact, they actually lost a key contributor in Guerschon Yabusele who agreed to sign with the New York Knicks. The 76ers have brought back a couple of veteran guards with Kelly Oubre Jr. picking up […]

The Houston Rockets shook up the NBA world with arguably the biggest move of the offseason when they agreed to trade for Kevin Durant. While the complete framework of the trade is reportedly still being worked on, there’s no question the Rockets improved. The Rockets continued to add to the roster this week with an […]

The Los Angeles Sparks made a series of roster moves this week, with the waiving of veteran guard Odyssey Sims drawing the ire of fans on social media. Not only did the Sparks cut Sims, but they cut Shey Peddy as well, leaving them with 11 players and one open roster spot. The Sparks plans […]

The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2025 offseason looking to bolster their frontcourt rotation. A day after agreeing to terms with free agent big man Deandre Ayton, it appears as if the Lakers have their backup center. The Lakers have agreed to re-sign veteran center Jaxson Hayes via a one-year contract in free agency, […]

LOS ANGELES – At this time last season, Bronny James was preparing for his first-ever NBA reps in summer league with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fresh off being drafted with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, not only did he have to prepare for the rigors of being a rookie, but […]

Following the conclusion of the NBA Draft last week, there are now two Reese siblings playing professional basketball. Angel Reese is a budding star with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA, while her brother Julian was a free agent signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. Obviously Angel […]

The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nate Oats received big news last week when it was announced that Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and would be given one more year of college basketball eligibility for next season following an Achilles injury. The question now becomes, when will Wrightsell […]

The Indiana Fever are coming off a Commissioner’s Cup championship win against the Minnesota Lynx, and they did so without star guard Caitlin Clark who was sidelined due to injury. Even with the win, the Fever are going to need Clark in the lineup to pose a serious threat the rest of the season. With […]

When the Los Angeles Lakers allowed Dorian Finney-Smith to walk in free agency after he opted out of his contract, they suddenly found themselves with the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception at their disposal. That gave them around $14 million to spend, and it couldn’t have come at a better time as a surprise free agent […]

The Los Angeles Lakers’ obvious need for a center has garnered headlines since the team was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Playoffs. But with the free agency negotiation period beginning on Monday, the Lakers first move was to come to an agreement with a wing in Jake LaRavia. The free agent market […]

It’s been a busy free agency period for the Milwaukee Bucks so far. Although the team lost Brook Lopez to the LA Clippers, they did manage to agree to new contracts with several of their own free agents. At the onset of the NBA’s free agency negotiation period, the Bucks agreed in principle to bring […]

The Orlando Magic started off their offseason moves before the NBA Finals were even over when they acquired Desmond Bane in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. The trade was a move towards becoming a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. And with the NBA free agency negotiation period beginning on Monday, the Magic made […]

One of the Detroit Pistons’ early NBA free agency plans was but on hold for the time being as free agent guard Malik Beasley was recently named as a target in a league investigation into potential gambling. While Beasley has not been charged with any crime at this point, it appears as if the Pistons […]

The NBA free agency period officially began on Monday, and while contracts cannot officially be signed until July 6, teams can already begin negotiations with potential free agents. NBA teams have also been able to come to agreements with their own free agents before the negotiation period. The Milwaukee Bucks’ first order of business in […]

The 2025 NBA free agency period doesn’t officially begin until Monday, but several teams have already agreed in principle to new contracts with their own free agents as permitted by the league’s CBA. But as of Sunday evening, a surprising name hit the free agent market. The Portland Trail Blazers agreed to a contract buyout […]

The Los Angeles Sparks managed to salvage what would have been a disappointing road trip following their 85-75 win against the Indiana Fever on Thursday. Finishing the trip at 1-2, the Sparks return home for a rematch against the Chicago Sky. And much-needed reinforcements might be on the way. Both Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell […]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks returned home on Sunday for a matchup against the Chicago Sky, a team they recently lost to during their three-game road trip. But even more significant on Sunday was the prelude to the jersey retirement of Candace Parker, who played for, and won a championship with both the […]

With the NBA free agency period set to begin next week, the Los Angeles Lakers don’t have much in terms of salary cap room to spend. It’s been well-documented that the Lakers are heading into the offseason looking to address their center issues. While a trade is the most likely avenue for the Lakers to […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder just won their first championship in the Oklahoma-era, but they got right to work with the NBA offseason and free agency period on the horizon. The Thunder’s first order of offseason business was a trade with the Washington Wizards involving Dillon Jones, as per Shams Charania of ESPN. In addition to […]

The Toronto Raptors will be under new front office leadership soon following the departure of longtime executive Masai Ujiri. With the NBA free agency period coming up, the Raptors could potentially have three open roster spots to address. And it appears as if one of those potential contracts will go to veteran guard Garrett Temple. […]

The Toronto Raptors made a shocking announcement this week when it was revealed that longtime executive Masai Ujiri would not return to the organization next season. Ujiri was entering the final year of his contract and both sides opted to part ways. With Ujiri out of the picture, much of the roster building would appear […]

For the second time in less than a week, the Los Angeles Sparks will face off against the Chicago Sky. The Sparks lost to the Sky, 97-86 on the road, and the rematch will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday. The game is significant in that it will be Candace Parker’s jersey retirement ceremony. […]

WNBA star Caitlin Clark may not have suited up during the Los Angeles Sparks’ 85-75 win against the Indiana Fever, but at this point, the Sparks will take what they can. Snapping a four-game losing streak with the win, the Sparks managed to salvage what had been a disappointing road trip to this point. For […]

After the conclusion of the NBA Draft, there are always talented players that go undrafted and end up signing free agent contracts with teams. These deals give teams the opportunity to evaluate players during summer league, and possibly into training camp. Right after the NBA Draft concluded, the Lakers made multiple roster signings to that […]

The Los Angeles Lakers potentially grabbed one of the steals of the 2025 NBA Draft when they selected Adou Thiero with the No. 36 overall pick. Using a series of trades, the Lakers moved up in the draft from No. 55 and ended up with a player who could conceivably help them immediately. But the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers initially came into the 2025 NBA Draft with very little fanfare. Without a first round pick, they held only the No. 55 overall pick in the second round. But before the end of the NBA Draft, the Lakers used a series of trades to move up and select an intriguing young […]

Every year there are quality players that fall to the second round of the NBA Draft for various reasons. Sometimes it’s just simply the fact that there are only 30 first round picks and a good number of impact players. One of those players who fell to the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft […]

There were multiple trades that took place during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and one of those trades involved the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings. The Kings moved into the first round of by acquiring the No. 24 overall pick from the Thunder. The Kings then used their newly acquired first […]