Report: Derek Fisher ’Sure-Thing’ To Return To L.A. Lakers
July 10 07
ESPN reporter Mark Stein believes Derek Fisher will return to the Lakers:
The Los Angeles Lakers emerged as an instant favorite to sign Derek Fisher last week after Fisher asked the Utah Jazz to release him from the final three years and $21 million left on his contract so he could move to one of the half-dozen NBA cities with a treatment center equipped to handle his young daughter’s rare form of eye cancer.
Call them virtual sure-thing favorites now.
Fisher, according to NBA front-office sources, is no longer even considering other teams and is on track to re-sign soon with the Lakers — who drafted him in 1996 — barring an unexpected snag in negotiations.
My Quick Take: The Lakers have missed Derek Fisher. The purple-and-gold hasn’t been the same since he left as a free agent after the 2003-04 season.
I’m not referring to his on-court play, either. Sure, he’s a solid combo guard, the type of player who does everything well. And Fisher, if he signed with the Lakers, would start at point-guard.
That’s nice. However, Fisher’s real value can’t be measured. His presence, personality, and life experience would stabilize a fractured organization. And his lead-by -example style would complement Kobe Bryant’s intensity.
Fisher was once one of L.A.’s favorite sons. It’s only natural he would head home to family.
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