Derek Fisher to be released from the Jazz

[Kori Ellis]

He asked out of his contract and the Jazz agreed. He will leave almost $21 million in salary on the table, which was due to be paid to him over the next three seasons.

----


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2924068

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz guard Derek Fisher was released from his contract Monday to care for his 10-month-old daughter, who has cancer.

Fisher and his wife, Candace, said they needed time to search for the best treatment for their daughter, Tatum.

"Basketball is not a priority. I don't have plans to retire ... I would enjoy playing the game, but there are a lot of things to consider," Fisher said at a news conference Monday.

Basketball is not a priority. I don't have plans to retire ... I would enjoy playing the game, but there are a lot of things to consider.

Fisher at times fought exhaustion trying to balance basketball and his daughter's welfare. Once, in May, he spent a day at a New York hospital, then flew back to Utah for a Western Conference semifinal game against the Golden State Warriors.

Tatum was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumor in her left eye. The danger is that it could spread to her brain or the rest of her body.

Tatum's twin, Drew, has no signs of the condition, which is one reason why Candace Fisher thought the light was reflecting oddly from Tatum's left eye. The Fishers took her to a few doctors before a pediatrician at the University of Utah recognized the problem.

Only 350 cases are diagnosed each year in North America, said Dr. A. Linn Murphree, director of the retinoblastoma program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, who is not involved in the Fisher case.

In most cases, patients lose the eye rather than undergo chemotherapy, but there are exceptions, Murphree said.

[dknights411]

Is there a chance he signs here? Wow, how awkward would THAT be?

[Kori Ellis]

In other articles it says he's going to look to play in a city near where his daughter needs to get treatment, after they find the best facility for that. Maybe in NY or NJ.

Good luck to him and his family.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Just beat me to it.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

And best wishes for Derek Fisher, his daughter, and the rest of the Fisher family.

[tsb2000]

Oops, there I was searching the NBA forum for this and I found out it's here. ;)

Prayers to DFish and his daughter.

[tmtcsc]

I have never seen this before. Can anyone else think of another situation in which this has happened ? Does that free up money for the jazz or will it count against the cap ?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

As far as cap numbers goes, I think they're simply free from the contract and free from the number.

But good luck and best wishes to Tatum and the Fisher family.

[dbreiden83080]

Wow and what a family man he must be to leave all that money on the table to take care of his daughter. A lot of athletes would not have done that, he is truly a good person, good luck Derek.

[Darkwaters]

I have never seen this before. Can anyone else think of when this happened ? Does that free up money for the jazz or will it count against the cap ?

I don't believe so, he wasn't waived. Most of the time when a player is released by a team both sides want something...money. The player is unhappy with his situation, but is still guaranteed so much money. While he wants out of the negative situation, he wants at least some of the compensation he feel his team has obligated themselves to pay him. On the other hand, the team is usually seeking to free up a roster spot as well as some salary. Generally some agreement is reached where the player leaves and receives partial payment for the time he was contractually bound to fulfill but did not. This is called a buyout, and whatever amount is agreed upon is then paid to the player and counts against the team's cap figures.

In the case of Derek Fisher is sounds like he made it clear to his team in Utah that he would be unable to play for them next season because of these issues. Judging by his obvious character, I imagine Fisher demanded nothing in return from the Jazz despite the 21M he left on the table. Props to him.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

With this possible extra $6-7M, Utah just became a much nicer FA destination.

[ShoogarBear]

I'm just guessing that Fisher is the kind of guy who has done smart things with the money he's earned so far, so the financial needs of his family are well taken care of even if he never earns another penny playing basketball.

I'm hoping that all this is just to get things settled emotionally. last I heard his daughter was doing well.

[T Park]

god bless you Derek Fisher.

Hope you can have a happy ending to whatever happens.

My heart litterally aches for this poor guy.

[Tippecanoe]

best of luck to derek and his daughter

*thinks back to 2004 wcsf game 5*

[florige]

In other articles it says he's going to look to play in a city near where his daughter needs to get treatment, after they find the best facility for that. Maybe in NY or NJ.

Good luck to him and his family.


Makes sense. Hopefully NJ and not NY. Like the Knicks organization, but Zeke is an idiot imo.

[conqueso]

I feel sympathy for his situation. It must be tough to be an NBA player with a sick kid, as Robert Horry can attest. I hope everything turns out okay for her and for Fisher. Two issues:

1. I think it's great that Fisher, Public Enemy #1 in S.A., is getting heartfelt props from Spurs fans.

2. If by chance the best eye cancer treatment facility in the world were in San Antonio, and he moved here for her treatment, and she got better before the beginning of next season and Fisher decided he wanted to play for the Spurs, how would everyone feel about that? Horry was a different story because he only did good things for us in his immediate past before joining the team (Game 5 of 2003 WCSF). But what about Fisher? How would the fans react the first time he checked into a game? Would they boo? Would they cheer? Would their heads explode because they just couldn't physically handle the unbelievable absurdity? What if he spent the rest of his career in S.A., played really well, and was given a retirement video montage on the Jumbotron? Would they show .4 along with the rest of his career highlights? I REALLY want to see this happen, just because it would be the most amazing study of the human psyche ever.

[picnroll]

In his press conference he said there were 6 or 7 NBA cities that had medical facilities where they could receive care. NY, Houston, LA, Boston, Memphis, maybe Philly would be some. This is a really tough situation. Fisher's other child is at some risk since some retinoblastomas are heritable with increased risk in twins so monitoring by experts is critical. Fisher is a class guy and hope this has a very happy ending.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I feel sympathy for his situation. It must be tough to be an NBA player with a sick kid, as Robert Horry can attest. I hope everything turns out okay for her and for Fisher. Two issues:

1. I think it's great that Fisher, Public Enemy #1 in S.A., is getting heartfelt props from Spurs fans.

2. If by chance the best eye cancer treatment facility in the world were in San Antonio, and he moved here for her treatment, and she got better before the beginning of next season and Fisher decided he wanted to play for the Spurs, how would everyone feel about that? Horry was a different story because he only did good things for us in his immediate past before joining the team (Game 5 of 2003 WCSF). But what about Fisher? How would the fans react the first time he checked into a game? Would they boo? Would they cheer? Would their heads explode because they just couldn't physically handle the unbelievable absurdity? What if he spent the rest of his career in S.A., played really well, and was given a retirement video montage on the Jumbotron? Would they show .4 along with the rest of his career highlights? I REALLY want to see this happen, just because it would be the most amazing study of the human psyche ever.

No way I'd boo.

I can't speak for other fans, and I'm certain there'd be some people who would, but did they want him to just grab the ball and not try to make the basket?

While it sucked to watch him hit that (clutch, luck, whatever) shot, you want the guys that do that on your team.

If the situation you bring up happened, I think the majority of Spurs fans would embrace D-Fish as Utah fans did when he came in the second half that first night.

[ObiwanGinobili]

good luck to the Fishers in finding excellent medical care for thier daughter. i can;t even imagine being in that situation.
major props for putting family 1st, as it should be. :tu

[conqueso]

I feel sympathy for his situation. It must be tough to be an NBA player with a sick kid, as Robert Horry can attest.

Speaking of which, if this doesn't make you cry, I don't know what will:

http://www.roberthorry.net/articles-02.htm

No place like home

Los Angeles Times, 05/22/02
by: Tim Brown

The parking lot at the Pediatric Therapy Center in southwest Houston is full, drive-around-the-lot-looking-for-a-space full, like the mall at Christmas time.

The PTC does a brisk business in all seasons.

The children, even the older ones, hold tight to their mothers' hands without embarrassment. When they leave the shade of the lot, many involuntarily lift their faces to the sun, which is warming in the late morning, headed to nearly 90, with a light breeze.

For all of the pictures of animals on the walls and the cartoons on the televisions, for all the smiles and encouragement from the therapists and doctors, this place is hard work for the children who walk in, or are carried in.

Ashlyn Horry used to sit in the back seat of her mother's car and refuse to get out. Then she would start to cry, and so would her mother, and there they'd be, Keva Horry pleading, Ashlyn Horry refusing, while other mothers in other minivans stopped behind them and wondered if they were coming or going.

Those were the moments when Keva Horry wondered too.

"This is life," she said without regret. "I'm dealing with it."


Ashlyn is 8. Her father, Robert, plays power forward for the Lakers. On Monday night, Robert had 20 rebounds in Sacramento, where the Lakers lost Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ashlyn is standing frightfully near the top of a four-rung ladder. A physical therapist holds her around the waist, and while the ladder teeters, she hands her a stuffed ball. With help, Ashlyn pushes the ball with two hands over the front of a plastic yellow hoop, and the ball falls through, lands on a blue mat and rolls across the floor.

"She scores!" the therapist cries. "Yeah!"

Across the room, Keva Horry claps. Ashlyn throws back her head and smiles. Her eyes joyously turn to slits and her arms and legs go stiff. When she opens her eyes, Ashlyn finds her mother.

Keva picks up the blue ball and rolls it back, her first rebound of the afternoon.

"There's a pride now because I'm seeing things the doctors didn't expect her to do," Keva says. "That gives me hope."

As the Horrys understand it, Ashlyn, their first child, was born without part of her first chromosome. They've never asked for the name of what she has, because it has never seemed important. She cannot yet speak or walk or eat, and there is no guarantee she ever will.

"One doctor told me it's a freak of nature," Keva said.

Ashlyn spent her first six months in the hospital, and she has been back often.

She can cover ground with the help of a four-wheeled walker, but it's a dicey transport without brakes. She leans forward and the walker rolls and suddenly she's nearly at a full run down the sidewalk, sending her parents after her with a mix of amusement and terror.

Ashlyn eats mostly through a tube in her stomach. An IV stand sits in a corner of her lavender-colored bedroom on the first floor of the family's home, beside her bed.

For three years she had a tracheotomy, allowing her to breath. Complications arose, as they often did then, and Ashlyn had her epiglottis—the flap that covers the windpipe during swallowing—removed, making eating a challenge.

Half of Tuesday's two-hour therapy session at PTC was spent in a tiny back room, where a kind woman named Judy Boshart dabbed baby food from a Dixie cup to Ashlyn's lips.

When Ashlyn swallowed or simply tried, she would get as reward a song or two from a nearby tape recorder, and Miss Judy would call her "Sugar Bear" or "Boo" and blow soapy bubbles and ask Ashlyn to pop them. So, Ashlyn sat in a wooden chair, vanilla pudding on her lips, jerking her head away from a plastic spoon, listening to Barney sing, "Do You Know the Muffin Man?"

Boshart pulled her face close to Ashlyn's, and rested her own cheek on the top of the little girl's head as Keva looked on."Ashlyn's a people person," she says. "She loves people. They don't always understand. But she doesn't care."

Boshart understands, and Ashlyn seems to know that. Boshart called Ashlyn's ailment "a neurological syndrome that mimics cerebral palsy" in some regards.

The prognosis, she said, "Guarded. Somewhat guarded. It's been so touch and go with this baby. She was so sick."


The little girl might never become what others are.

That's OK.

Others become what she is, joyfully.

Keva Horry sat in her television room Tuesday afternoon as workers, with ladders and extension cords over their shoulders, continue to plod through the two-story Mediterranean-style home in Houston's posh West Chase neighborhood.

There are peacocks in the yard.

"Not ours," Keva says. "They belong to the community."

Apparently, they like the Horry's place best. Robert and Keva had it built, and have been in it for about a year. The home is stunning, even set against the other grand and gated homes on the same leafy street.

On the television, turned to the channel that brings up nine security cameras in the house, Camron, 3, plays with a babysitter in segment four. Palm trees wave in the front yard in segment five. Ashlyn, exhausted from her therapy, sleeps in segment one. She often falls asleep on the way home.

The room is quiet and bright. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame a large backyard, which has a pool, a wooden jungle gym, a basketball court and a pool house. When Ashlyn and Camron play in the yard, Keva sometimes will stand in this room, behind those windows, and marvel at what her little girl has become, the ability she has to change people.

"She just kind of brings everybody to her level," Keva says. "Like, 'Hello, this is what it's really all about—happiness.'"

Keva is pretty in a Jasmine Guy, Southern-girl way. She's like Robert in that she is easy to smile in the light moments and quick to shrug in the difficult ones. She cries some, such as when Robert leaves Houston for Los Angeles for his NBA season. She met Robert when both were attending Alabama. She grew up in Tuscaloosa, Robert in nearby Andalusia, and they share the same subtle drawls.

Keva had never seen someone so tall and thin, nor met someone as easygoing. She dated the high-profile athlete—despite her better judgment, she said—and five years ago they wed, three years after Ashlyn was born, two years before Camron, a normal child in every way, was born.

At that moment, Camron walked into the room, held up a new pair of Nike sneakers and said, "Like Ko-mee Biant!", Kobe Bryant being his second-favorite Laker. He is his father in miniature, complete with the big eyes and high, hollow cheeks. He attends a preschool that feels like Disneyland's Main Street.

Robert isn't around much during basketball season. The Lakers get to Houston twice a year and the family comes to Los Angeles occasionally, to a home in Marina del Rey. Moving the family to Los Angeles isn't an option. It's too vast, Keva says. The Horrys made their home here when Robert was with the Rockets. And moving would mean leaving the therapy center where Ashlyn has been going since she was 2. There are pictures of him all over the house, and he calls several times a day, Tuesday telling Keva on her cell phone as she drove home from physical therapy, "I wish I was there with you." She said, "I wish you were here too."

"This is Robert's favorite room," Keva said, swinging open the door just off the TV room. "I'm not allowed in here, so don't tell him I showed you."

She laughed and dragged a hand across a black velvet-lined pool table. There are half a dozen video games against one wall, a wet bar in the corner, and a movie theater through a side door. Framed NBA jerseys are leaning against a wall, waiting to be mounted.

She thinks about him often.

"It's like when you're first starting to date somebody all over again," she said. "I still get the butterflies. I do. I get nervous, like, 'Do I look OK?' Really. I still cry when he gets on a plane, when I drop him off for the season at the airport, I'm boo-hooing all the way home. It's been going on for so long now. If it stops, I'll start to worry.

"It gets very lonely. My children are my life. And I miss my husband. I love him dearly and I am extremely proud of him. I want him to be happy."


The truth is, there are times when Robert Horry feels badly for Ashlyn.

He admires her courage and loves her determination, but those things won't allow her to chase her little brother, or catch fireflies in a jar. When her tiny cousins race each other into the backyard for one of the swings, Ashlyn sometimes sits nearby, staring.

"There are bad days, like on the Fourth of July, when we have my brother's kids and her sister's kids," Robert said after practice Wednesday in El Segundo. "They're like kids, running around. You can tell she wants to do what they're doing, but can't. Those are the days I feel bad for her."

It doesn't last too long, because the doorbell always rings again.

"Everybody who knows her, they love Ashlyn like she's their child," he said. "When people come over, they're like, 'Where's my baby? Where's Ashlyn?' They get on the floor with her and hug and kiss on her as much as she can stand."

Keva is not sure about the bad days."She's happy all the time," she said. "She doesn't know any different. That's great, and it's a peace for me. This is all she knows. She's happy, and I want to keep it that way."


The sun has passed over the top of the house, and shadows have fallen on the living room couch, where Keva reads a children's book to Ashlyn and Camron. Though he has been forbidden to eat a cookie so near suppertime, Camron returns from the kitchen with crumbs stuck to his mouth, which Keva instantly notices.

Ashlyn is blissful beside her mother, listening to her voice and staring sweetly at the pages. She tries to hug her brother, who pushes her away.

Unbowed, Ashlyn pulls him closer. He groans and Keva laughs and kisses Ashlyn.

It is life. And they are dealing with it.

"I don't know what the reason is just yet," Keva said. "I do on a daily basis try to figure it out. It's not a 'Why me?' thing anymore. It used to be. It was very hurtful for the first year. I know her little life has a purpose. She has a destiny like everybody else. Maybe she's here for me. Maybe it's for Robert. Maybe that's it.

"The thing is, I never felt like the weight of the world was on me. You just do it. Before I knew it, we were here."

It's not a bad place. Ashlyn brings them little hardships and she brings them huge joy. Maybe she doesn't know it, but they're sure she does. They choose to believe she does.

"She kind of does that on a daily basis," Keva said. "Milestones. The little accomplishments that, for her, are huge. It happens every day."

[conqueso]

http://www.mistilynn.com/rh03-122.jpg

How fuckin' cool would it be to have these two in silver-and-black?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I'd LOVE Fisher in San Antonio.

[michaelwcho]

A lot of guys talk "family", but how many actually act on it? He left $21 mil on table--I've never heard of that. Incredible!

[iminlakerland]

Derek Fisher has been my favorite player in the league for many years now. When i found out that his daughter had this condition my heart was really saddened for him and his family. I really truely hope that his daughter pulls through this.

Derek is a complete class act, and he is definately showing that to him family comes first. I wish his family nothing but the best and my prayers are with them. I also do hope he suits up for a team next season.

[baseline bum]

I can't imagine how hard it is to walk away from $21 million. Then again, I also can't imagine not wanting to spend every day with my kid if I had to deal with the real possibility of him being gone in a year. For one time in my life, I'm rooting hard for Derek Fisher.

[T Park]

It would be great if D Fish was a Spur. I've always thought he was a high class guy, and a guy that always played hard.

That being said, I hope him and his family are left alone and can get everything done that needs to be done.

Good luck D Fish :tu

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

It sounds like he may take this year off, but if he doesn't, two good candidates would be the Wizards and the Rockets.

Baltimore has one of the top rhetinoblastoma treatment centers in the country, as does the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

[Marcus Bryant]

I can't think of a better fit at backup point for the Spurs in the NBA today than Fisher, but obviously that's not a concern at the moment.

[2pac]

Why wouldn't he take her to MD Anderson and play for the Rockets? Rockets need a savvy vet who can spread the floor and MD Anderson is the best cancer hospital in the world.

[MoSpur]

First city came to my mind was H-Town. MD Anderson is tops.

[T Park]

I can't think of a better fit at backup point for the Spurs in the NBA today than Fisher, but obviously that's not a concern at the moment.

I agree.

Its a shame SA doesn't have a great hospital and that could be a selling point.

Classless I know, but still, Derek has to consider his options IF he plays this year.

[efrem1]

god bless you Derek Fisher.

Hope you can have a happy ending to whatever happens.

My heart litterally aches for this poor guy.

My prayers for his family too. The commute between SLC and NY must have been brutal. I wish you well on the East Coast DF. :)

[ancestron]

Fisher was the one with vacation plans while the conference finals were still going on.
The daughter story is a convenient excuse, but of course we all wish his little girl the best.

[T Park]

Fisher was the one with vacation plans while the conference finals were still going on

wrong.

It was more than likely Mehmet Okur.

Fisher loves the game and respects it way too much for that.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Fisher was the one with vacation plans while the conference finals were still going on.
The daughter story is a convenient excuse, but of course we all wish his little girl the best.

that was Okur and AK47.

and dont; be such an ass.

shit - if that were my kid I wouldn't have played any games.

[conqueso]

Fisher loves the game and respects it way too much for that.

For real, this is the guy who cries every time his team gets eliminated from the playoffs, and was blubbering like a little girl on the sidelines after a 28 point defeat at the hands of the Spurs in '03. Vacation plans my ass. Don't get me wrong, I hate him as a player so much that I can barely stand it, but as a person, he seems like a pretty stand-up guy.

[ShoogarBear]

Fisher was the one with vacation plans while the conference finals were still going on.
The daughter story is a convenient excuse, but of course we all wish his little girl the best.Yeah, because we all know the best time to hit up a resort is when your daughter has cancer.

[ShoogarBear]

First city came to my mind was H-Town. MD Anderson is tops.This is such a rare disease that there are probably only a handful of true experts in the country. So no matter how good MD Anderson is, it's wouldn't be necessarily surprising to find that they didn't have one of those experts.

[anakha]

Fisher was the one with vacation plans while the conference finals were still going on.
The daughter story is a convenient excuse, but of course we all wish his little girl the best.

Convenient excuse!?

The guy was flying back and forth throughout the playoffs so he could fulfill his commitments to his family AND his team. Come on.

Sheesh.

Oh well, at least this gives me a reason to bust out the :idiot icon.

[Budkin]

I feel bad for his daughter but man, 0.4 still hurts...

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/46893/20070703/lakers_target_derek_fisher/

Lakers want Fisher back.

[Ken Loomis]

Lets see Fisher is 33...yep anyone over the age of 30 is Spurs material. I support the Spurs getting older and older. :elephant

[traitoravery]

Hey Ken I hope you are the real Ken Loomis because I just emailed the REAL Ken to tell him there was someone impersonating him on this board.


http://www.communication.tcu.edu/faculty_loomis.asp

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:owned

[traitoravery]

What's the matter Kenny boy cat got your tongue.....

[Nathan Explosion]

I agree.

Its a shame SA doesn't have a great hospital and that could be a selling point.

Classless I know, but still, Derek has to consider his options IF he plays this year.

San Antonio has some of the best hospitals and research facilities in the country. Or have you forgotten the entire Medical Center, UT Health Science Center, Southwest Biomedical Research, Wilford Hall and BAMC, in addition to the hospitals downtown?

Finding a good hospital doesn't have as much to do with it as finding the right experts, which I imagine is really tough.

I couldn't imagine having to decided that kind of fate for my 8 month old son as Fisher had to with his daughter. I just wouldn't know what to do.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

San Antonio has some of the best hospitals and research facilities in the country. Or have you forgotten the entire Medical Center, UT Health Science Center, Southwest Biomedical Research, Wilford Hall and BAMC, in addition to the hospitals downtown?

Finding a good hospital doesn't have as much to do with it as finding the right experts, which I imagine is really tough.

I couldn't imagine having to decided that kind of fate for my 8 month old son as Fisher had to with his daughter. I just wouldn't know what to do.

When I come to SA, I stay right across the road from the Medical Centre and was thinking the same thing. We don't really need him on this team though (from the perspective of age... but he would be a nice backup to TP).

Classy move by Fisher to put life ahead of basketball (!), all the best to him and his family.

[SRJ]

I hate to do this.

FIRST of all, understand that this is not an attack on Fisher. He is doing the best he can by his family.

But aren't we praising him excessively? I mean, it's his daughter and he is providing for her. LIKE HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO. That is in the job description under "parent". Praising Fisher for putting his family first is a little like crediting a clock for telling the correct time.

It's just pathetic; we are so accustomed to some people treating their families and kids like shit, we speak of good parents as though they are superior beings from another planet.

It's not classy or heroic or brave or selfless to do what Derek Fisher is doing - it's mandatory. I'm glad he's meeting his responsibilities and I hope he inspires others to do so. I hope the girl makes a full recovery, but jeez - this isn't Maximillian Kolbe or Jack Twyman or the guy who saved someone from getting hit by a subway train. It's a man providing for his family as he is supposed to do.

I'm not trying to be a heel here, but a little perspective please.

[duncan228]

The Orange County Register (Southern California) chimes in on Fisher to Lakers possibility.

Really bad pun about the .04 shot.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/abox/article_1753333.php

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Lakers, Fisher again could work together
The guard's agent said they will talk to the team since Fisher's daughter could get care here.
By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO It doesn't take someone as close to Derek Fisher as good buddy Kobe Bryant to realize that Fisher would help the Lakers win next season more than a teenage lead guard will.

On Tuesday, when 19-year-old Javaris Crittenton signed his Lakers contract and was given his first gold jersey with the No. 1 on it, Lakers management also was sifting through the new possibility that Fisher could be signed back to wear his longtime No. 2 jersey.

Fisher, who turns 33 next month, joined the free-agent pool Monday when he voided the remaining three years and $20.6 million on his Utah Jazz contract so he could relocate to a city where his 1-year-old daughter, Tatum, could receive optimal care for her rare form of eye cancer.

Fisher has continued to spend much of his time in the Encino area since leaving the Lakers in 2004 to sign with the Golden State Warriors, who traded him to Utah a year ago. Los Angeles would meet his daughter's medical needs, according to Fisher's agent, Mark Bartelstein.

"We're going to talk to the Lakers, obviously, and talk to the Clippers," Bartelstein said. "There are seven or eight teams out there we'll talk to."

Said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak: "Certainly this is a new development that will be addressed."

The Lakers have a glaring need for a veteran lead guard in the triangle offense — a role Fisher played on three Lakers championship teams alongside Bryant and under Coach Phil Jackson. They also have their mid-level salary-cap exception worth about $5.5 million next season — which Fisher likely would take, if offered.

The Lakers have considered free agent Steve Blake, 27, but might be better served making a trade for their new starting lead guard — especially as they fear their payroll next season invoking the luxury tax. With Kupchak intending to carry just 14 players, the Lakers are already up to 12 guaranteed contracts with Luke Walton coming back and Crittenton aboard. He will get nearly $6 million over four years if the Lakers pick up his last two option years. They also would like to re-sign center Chris Mihm, who has drawn Chicago's interest.

Fisher's availability might alter plans, though.

"We're very aware of the situation," Kupchak said.

It also might help the Lakers in their efforts to appease Bryant to have Fisher around to assist in leadership; Fisher and Bryant still talk on the phone regularly. Described by Jackson in the past as the Lakers' "spiritual leader," Fisher further anchored himself in Lakers lore with a winning shot in the final four-tenths of a second to spur the Lakers toward the 2004 NBA Finals.

The Lakers have sought to upgrade their defense foremost in moving on from Smush Parker, and they'll have to determine if Fisher is sufficient on that front. Fisher averaged 10.1 points and 3.3 assists in 28 minutes for Utah last season.

[Nathan Explosion]

I hate to do this.

FIRST of all, understand that this is not an attack on Fisher. He is doing the best he can by his family.

But aren't we praising him excessively? I mean, it's his daughter and he is providing for her. LIKE HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO. That is in the job description under "parent". Praising Fisher for putting his family first is a little like crediting a clock for telling the correct time.

It's just pathetic; we are so accustomed to some people treating their families and kids like shit, we speak of good parents as though they are superior beings from another planet.

It's not classy or heroic or brave or selfless to do what Derek Fisher is doing - it's mandatory. I'm glad he's meeting his responsibilities and I hope he inspires others to do so. I hope the girl makes a full recovery, but jeez - this isn't Maximillian Kolbe or Jack Twyman or the guy who saved someone from getting hit by a subway train. It's a man providing for his family as he is supposed to do.

I'm not trying to be a heel here, but a little perspective please.

The thing is, the man walked away from $21 mil to do so. Not many players, or people for that matter will leave $21 mil on the table. Most would see that money as providing for their children, keep their job, and try to deal with their situation.

It's a class move not so much from a family standpoint, but from the fact that not only is he leaving a lot of money on the table, in addition to taking care of his family, but he's doing the Jazz a favor because he knows that he won't be able to do his job effectively.

A lot of players would dog it through the season and collect a check. Fisher knows it's unfair to his family and the Jazz franchise to continue to play for the sake of a paycheck.

[hsxvvd]

Goes to show how desperate and immoral the Lakers are, the man's kid is dying and they are trying to pry him away now he's a free agent!

[SRJ]

The thing is, the man walked away from $21 mil to do so. Not many players, or people for that matter will leave $21 mil on the table. Most would see that money as providing for their children, keep their job, and try to deal with their situation.

Would it definitely have been wrong to remain under contract? I cannot answer that and I doubt very seriously that you can, with all due respect to you. Obviously Fisher thinks this is the best move to make, but had he gone the other way, would that then give us license to call Fisher a bad parent? Of course not. It looks more noble because he turned down the money, but I wouldn't have thought less of him had things stayed as they were. I am in no position to judge either way. What I am qualified to comment on is the idea that a person is some kind of modern day saint for doing exactly what they are supposed to do. The sentiment is a little ridiculous. Why don't we have a "Thanks For Not Committing A Crime!" parade for the law-abiding?


It's a class move not so much from a family standpoint, but from the fact that not only is he leaving a lot of money on the table, in addition to taking care of his family, but he's doing the Jazz a favor because he knows that he won't be able to do his job effectively.

I suppose that much is praiseworthy. Most guys aren't willing to admit that they can't contribute, and Fisher is making it clear very early on in this process. Still a separate issue from the parental thing IMO.

[RADECK]

Derek is a great person and i wish him luck and his family!

[Ken Loomis]

What's the matter Kenny boy cat got your tongue.....


Just deleted your email. I don't like spam and if you want to say something to me, grow a pair and do it in the thread. Coward. :rolleyes

[Ken Loomis]

Hey Ken I hope you are the real Ken Loomis because I just emailed the REAL Ken to tell him there was someone impersonating him on this board.


http://www.communication.tcu.edu/faculty_loomis.asp


You call me the real Ken Loomis but at the same time call me an impersonator? That sounds contradicting to me. By the way, Avery isn't a traitor. You let him come to the Mavs. It isn't the Mavs fault you let go.

[Avitus1]

Great player. I feel bad for him and his family and I hope the best for him and his daughter.

[justanotherspursfan]

You call me the real Ken Loomis but at the same time call me an impersonator? That sounds contradicting to me.
What kind of dork decides to become the most obvious form of troll on an internet message board and uses his real name?