Derek Fisher is in his 16th NBA season, and he has only spent three of those not wearing the purple and gold uniform of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fisher has been part of five NBA Championships and seven trips to the Finals.
Yesterday his time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers came to it's conclusion.
The Lakers approached the trade deadline knowing that they probably needed to acquire a point guard to have a legitimate chance at a winning the franchise's 17th Championship.
That "need" existed because Derek Fisher in 2012 is not Derek Fisher in 2000 or 2001 or even in 2010. Derek Fisher is in the twilight of his career and had become too slow to play in a league that is currently populated by as many gifted point guards as the league has ever seen.
It's not just that Fisher is getting older, it's that there are so many athletic point guards in the league right now that even Fisher in his prime would not have been the player many fans think of even when they think back to the glory days of 1999-2002.
That combination of colliding factors contributed not just to the Lakers dealing for the younger, quicker Ramon Sessions yesterday but also to the team dealing Fisher to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill who will backup the Lakers big men.
Then there's the whole "business" aspect of the deal.
Derek Fisher was under contract through the end of next season and slated to cost the Lakers $3.4 million. It's not exactly superstar money but with both Fisher and Steve Blake under contract and Blake's contract length rendering him somewhat less movable Fisher became the odd man out.
That apparent for profit motive hasn't sat well with many loyal Lakers fans who would ideally like the teams' management to attach the same sentimental value to certain players that fans do.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
