Derek Fisher: Signing Declining PG Would Be Counterproductive for Miami Heat

After being bought out by the Houston Rockets following a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, veteran point guard Derek Fisher is an unrestricted free agent. One team rumored to be interested is the Miami Heat, but there is little benefit to signing him.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, the Heat have an open roster spot and could be in the running for Fisher. When asked about the possibility of bringing in the five-time NBA champion, Heat star LeBron James was receptive.

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One thing you know about Derek Fisher is that he's a winner; he's not afraid of the moment and he's won multiple championships, Heat star LeBron James said Monday.

I don't know what our plans are but I don't see it as a bad fit it if happens. What we have we're comfortable with, but he could fit anyone's team because of his leadership and his commitment to winning.

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LeBron's sentiment is one that is shared by many, that being that Fisher is a winner. His track record seems to support that theory, but being a "winner" has had more to do with playing alongside players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal than anything else.

Joining the Heat would give him teammates like LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but his skills deteriorated beyond recognition at this point. Fisher is having his worst year since the 1998-99 season as he is averaging just 5.9 points and 3.3 assists per contest with an awful field-goal percentage of 38 percent.

Fisher has never been anything close to an elite player at his position, but he has had plenty of quality seasons and made plays in big moments. With that said, though, he is now 37 years old and very much on his last legs as evidenced by the fact that L.A. parted with a first-round pick in order to move him.

On top of that, I believe Fisher's presence would stunt the development of young point guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. Chalmers has had a very nice season as he is averaging over 10 points per contest and has become a three-point marksman, while Cole has been an effective player as a rookie.

The popular sentiment is probably that Fisher would be a good mentor to Chalmers and Cole, but it is more likely to put undue pressure on the young backcourt duo. If either or both of them struggle come playoff time, there might be calls for Fisher to play a larger role than he really should at this point in his career.

Both Chalmers and Cole are better players right now and the Heat should ride them the rest of the way. Fisher simply wouldn't make a difference as he just doesn't have it anymore. Miami might be compelled to sign him as a player off the end of the bench solely because of his title experience, but he isn't going to contribute on the court.

Oftentimes being a winner is overstated, and that goes for any sport. If Fisher was putting the Lakers' title teams on his back and willing them to victory then there would be some credence to it. For the most part, though, Fisher was along for the ride and the same would be true in Miami.