Lakers miss the point in trading Derek Fisher

[ellisonz]

The Lakers traded veteran point guard Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets on Thursday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / May 29, 2010)

Fisher has lost more than a step on the court, but he was one of the Lakers' leaders in the clubhouse and a buffer between Kobe Bryant and the rest of the team.
By Bill Plaschke
March 15, 2012, 7:25 p.m.

Responding to the pleas for a blockbuster trade, the Lakers answered their critics Thursday with a whopper.

They traded their soul.

The Lakers traded Derek Fisher, and if you are having trouble swallowing those five words, say them in point-four seconds and you'll really choke on it.

The Lakers traded Derek Fisher, and it feels so wrong, it feels so cheap, and I don't care if he was aging, and slowing, and sliding toward the end of the bench.

More: http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers-20120316,0,4601319.column

Shame on the Lakers management - for over a decade even as an Angeleno I loathed Kobe Bryant and the Lakers because they lack integrity, today proved me 100% correct.

We are all Clippers fans now.

[Iggo]

1. Haters gonna hate.

[JonLP24]

2. Bill is the only one I know that has a problem with it

They upgraded and have depth at PG. This move gives Fisher more playing time with Houston. Win-win for everybody.

[ellisonz]

4. I think there are a lot more than Bill Plaschke...

...D-Fish had previously stated that he didn't care about the minutes and that he just wanted to be a Laker because he loved it there. Listening to the press conference with Mitch Kuptchak it really seemed like they were worried he was going to be a potential troublemaker in the locker room or something, and that is ridiculous. There's no loyalty anymore and the Lakers are the worst - their management has really gone down hill. I predict this won't work and that you'll see even more drama coming out of that locker room.

[JonLP24]

5. I read partial transcripts of it

but from the portions I didn't get that impression but got the impression he had reservations about it but had to make the decision because they are stacked at PG and doesn't make sense to have so much invested in one position and as far as minutes go, this is a better thing for Fisher. He said, "I know he would have been professional," Kupchak said. "Personally, I think it would have been a tough position to put a player like him in ... It's just hard to do."

With the money Fisher is expected to be paid next season, they probably wouldn't be able to trade him next season and use that money to invest in other positions now that they upgraded at the PG.

[ellisonz]

6. It's a lousy trade...

...and I hope it hurts them with their fan base. They don't hire Brian Shaw, shit can the whole scouting staff, and trading Fisher, again. They didn't need to trade him to improve at the position, they chose to trade him, that's what stinks. Also, they really aren't that stocked at the guard position, unless they're counting their over-performing rookies. They could have bought him out next season.

[JonLP24]

7. To clarify

I wasn't saying the traded Fisher to improve at the position, it looks more like a salary dump. I was saying the trade made sense since they improved at the position(bringing in Sessions) and added depth which made Fisher just another PG.

[joeybee12]

3. I'm seeing lots of articles saying this was a mistake...

I tend to agree.

[thelordofhell]

8. Hell, I still can't believe they traded Luke Walton

The most overpaid, luckiest plank of wood in basketball takes his bench riding experience to Cleveland.