Derek Fisher, Oklahoma City Thunder Reportedly Nearing Deal
It sounds like Derek Fisher will soon be a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Update: March 21 at 11:20 p.m. EST
Fisher has made the trek to Oklahoma City to finalize a contract with the Thunder, according to a report from Randy Renner of NBA.com.
"Fisher was spotted at OKC's Will Rogers World Airport early this morning with Thunder GM Sam Presti and other members of the Thunder front office. Fisher has reportedly been in final negotiations with the Thunder on a contract that would bring him to the Western Conference leaders after he clears waivers.
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It is an interesting move for the Thunder, but they could use another point guard to give Russell Westbrook a rest from time to time.
Plus, it will give this young team a veteran voice in the locker room that knows how to handle playoff adversity and keep everyone on an even keel when things look dire.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, Fisher and the Thunder are in "advanced negotiations," and Fisher could join the team as soon as he clears waivers:
"ESPN latest on Derek Fisher going online now: Thunder enter into advanced negotiations for Fisher to sign w/OKC after clearing waivers WEDS
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) March 20, 2012"
Stein has subsequently posted a full report on Fisher and the Thunder on ESPN.com.
Fisher was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Houston Rockets before last Thursday's trade deadline. The Rockets subsequently bought out Fisher's contract, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
What It Means
It's been a wild couple of days for Fisher, but it will all boil down to this: He will have gone from a good Lakers team with shaky title hopes to a mediocre Rockets team with no title hopes to an outstanding Thunder team with very strong title hopes.
If and when Fisher's deal with the Thunder is completed, their title hopes will get that much stronger. They already have enough talent to advance to the NBA Finals with the team they currently have, but Fisher is a guy who will bring veteran savvy and plenty of championship experience to the table. He may not be a big asset out on the court, but he'll be a huge asset in the locker room with OKC's young stars.
The partnership will be good for the Thunder, and it will be good for Fisher too. The door is closing on his NBA career, but joining the Thunder will give him a chance to earn his sixth NBA championship ring.
Along the way, he might just get a chance to stick it to his former team.
What Happens Next
First and foremost, Fisher and the Thunder will have to get things ironed out.
Once they do, it will be up to Thunder head coach Scott Brooks to figure out how to incorporate Fisher into his team's plans, how many minutes he should set aside for him and so on.
Beyond that, all Fisher has to do is enjoy the ride, pitching in when he can on the court and dispatching advice whenever possible off the court. He'll basically have to be the Thunder's personal Gandalf, sans the long beard.
Indeed, James Harden has the team's long-bearded-guy role on lockdown.
