NBA Trade Deadline: Lakers Stronger Despite Losing Fan-Favorite Derek Fisher

Derek Fisher is no longer part of the Los Angeles Lakers, meaning the incoming pieces have a great deal to live up to. 

First, the important aspects to a wild Thursday that ended with one Lakers star being sent packing and a young guard with pick-and-roll sensibilities coming in. 

Here is a breakdown of the trades that affected the Purple and Gold at trade deadline time. Via ESPN. 

Trade 1

Lakers trade: Derek Fisher and 2012 first-round pick to Houston Rockets.

Lakers receive Jordan Hill.

Trade 2

Lakers Trade: Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and Lakers' 2012 first-round pick (Right to swap Heat's 2013 first-round pick with Lakers' first-rounder) to Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lakers Receive: Ramon Sessions, Christian Eyenga.

Analysis 

The Lakers get two crucial upgrades in places they need it most. They may still lack an upgrade at small forward, but they get a big man coming off the bench that will ease the burden on Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. 

They also get a point guard that is a boost in athleticism and offensive production in the way of Ramon Sessions. 

The day would have been a real treat had they pried away Michael Beasley, answering every last issue in one fell swoop. 

Derek Fisher was a ghost of his former self and running a stagnant offense at times. Sessions may not be the marquee name Lakers fans craved, but he can run the ball far better at this point in his career and gives the Lakers a dynamite pick-and-roll operative. 

Jordan Hill isn't a superstar by any means either, but he is an upgrade to the slop that was coming off the bench prior to the trade. 

Far less Troy Murphy is a good thing. 

The rotations are a tad deeper and the bench isn't as big of an issue. That is not the biggest part of the story. 

Derek Fisher 

From dropping a shot with .4 seconds on the clock to being a friend and mentor to every Lakers player through the years, Derek Fisher has been the most beloved player in Purple and Gold not named Kobe Bryant. 

It doesn't pay to add emotion into business decisions, and so is the hope that this calculated move pays dividends for a team that craved youth. 

It doesn't make the sting of a tremendous loss any easier to stomach. 

Fisher will one day retire, and he will do it with another team. That doesn't take away from the fact that he will always be a member of the Lakers in the heart of every fan that had the privilege of watching him play in Los Angeles.

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