Lakers Rumors: Derek Fisher Belongs Back with Lakers After He's Finished Playing
When the Los Angeles Lakers traded Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday, a lot of people were shocked. A few others were outraged.
Many of these same people started entertaining the notion that Fisher could just head right back to the Lakers as soon as it was reported that the Rockets were considering buying out Fisher's contract.
That never was within the realm of possibility. When Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Fisher's buyout was official, he took care to note that a new rule in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow players who are bought out to return to the teams from whence they came.
For the record, the latest word around the campfire is that Fisher is going to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, despite the fact Fisher couldn't have returned to the Lakers as a player, an offer was on the table for him to return to the organization this season.
Steve Kyler of HOOPSWORLD had the scoop:
"Sources say there is an offer from the Lakers to join the basketball operation staff, however such a move would require Fish to retire and sources near Fish say he is not ready to hang them up just yet.
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This makes perfect sense. It's self-evident that Fisher is not much use out on the court anymore, but the Lakers and every team in the NBA know that he has a great head on his shoulders. When Fisher does decide to hang 'em up, he'll have no trouble whatsoever finding a career in a front office somewhere.
The Lakers were kidding themselves thinking Fisher would retire just so he could come running back to an organization that deemed him expendable, but you can't fault them for extending the invitation. The Lakers made a business decision with Fisher, but they never meant to burn a bridge. That's the exact message they were sending Fisher with their offer to rejoin the team in a basketball operations capacity.
This offer should stay on the table. Fisher's playing days are quickly coming to an end, meaning he will need to find a new job in the very near future. Unless he wants to fully devote himself to his role as the NBPA's president, he should keep an open mind towards returning to the Lakers as an executive.
It was often noted that the trade that sent Fisher away from the Lakers felt wrong because of the simple fact that he's a true Laker. That was very much true, and it still is. It will be odd to see Fisher suiting up with the Thunder once he joins them, and it would be even more odd if he never worked for the Lakers again. The Lakers are just where he belongs.
The Lakers apparently realize that. It will be up to Fisher to come to the same conclusion down the road.
But first things first. Fisher is not done yet, and it seems he wants to spend the rest of this season chasing a sixth NBA championship. Lakers fans should wish him luck.
At least until the Lakers meet up with Fisher and the Thunder in the Western Conference playoffs.
