The start of the 2012-13 NBA regular season for the Los Angeles Lakers is less than three weeks away. With two pre-season games in the books, the Lakers’ coaching staff is starting to get a feel for this team and how the rotation will look in the season opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 30.
Even though things are starting to come together for the revamped Lakers, the same can’t be said for five-time NBA champion and former Laker Derek Fisher.
Last month, Fisher worked out at the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, California in an effort to keep in shape and hopefully sign with a new team before the start of the upcoming season. Of course, the Lakers would love to have him backing up Steve Nash, but as of right now that is impossible with Fisher unable to sign with the team until March 15 due to the rules of the new CBA that he helped get signed back in December of last year.
It remains a possibility that if the veteran point guard is still unsigned in March that the Lakers would take serious interest depending on the situation in the backcourt with injuries or need from some new blood. Until that time, Fisher’s future in the NBA is uncertain to say the least with retirement a possibility.
Kobe Bryant believes that it will be only a matter of time before Fisher signs with a new team via Ramon Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com:
Kobe Bryant on Derek Fisher, who hasn’t signed with a team yet: “I’m pretty confident he’ll find a team. Every team needs a guard like him.”
— ramonashelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 11, 2012
With Fisher’s veteran experience and impact in the locker room, there’s no doubt that a team will be calling the five-time NBA champion at some point during the upcoming season.
Landing a job between now and the start of the season seems unlikely unless an injury occurs in the pre-season or training camp for a team that requires a need for a player of Fisher’s caliber. Despite that being the case, there’s bound to be a spot that will open up in the near future.
