Derek Fisher Has No Plans To Retire

Derek Fisher experienced arguably the worst regular season of his long career in 2011/12, a year that saw him traded away by the Lakers in a salary dump. Still, despite his declining production and increasing age (he turns 38 this summer), the veteran guard has no plans to retire, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Fisher told Mayberry that he intends to continue his career beyond this season.

After Fisher was traded to the Rockets by Los Angeles, Houston bought out his contract, which included a player option for next season. Upon becoming a free agent, the point guard signed a rest-of-year deal with the Thunder. He'll hit free agency again this summer, at which point any team can sign him, including the Lakers — CBA rules forbid teams from re-signing traded players for a year after the trade or until their contract expires, whichever comes first. In Fisher's case, his contract will expire in July, allowing him to re-sign in Los Angeles if he so chooses.

Given his production in 2011/12 though, Fisher is probably not a great bet to sign for more than the veteran's minimum this summer. While he has extensive playoff experience and provides leadership off the bench, he set career-lows this season in points per 36 minutes (8.4) and PER (8.0), among other categories. He was also at the center of some off-court drama, when the NBPA attempted to oust him as union president.

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