The Los Angeles Lakers made an incredibly unexpected deal at the trade deadline, dealing veteran point guard Derek Fisher and a first round pick (via the Mavericks) to the Houston Rockets for young power forward Jordan Hill. Fisher, who was a key part of numerous championships with the Lakers and has been with the club throughout most of the last 15 years, likely lost his starting job with the earlier acquisition of Ramon Sessions.
Let's fix this: The Lakers have traded Derek Fisher and a 2012 first-round pick (via Dallas) for Jordan Hill, league sources tell Y!
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) March 15, 2012
It's tough to get your head around this one and it seems like there may have been something going on behind the scenes that fans did not know about. Not only is Fisher a beloved veteran in Los Angeles, but he also is likely playing one of his final seasons. The Rockets do not have much of a chance at a title this year and it's unlikely that the franchise would make this move without his consent. Sure, it saves the team some cash through their luxury-tax bill, but deal Fisher to do so?
Hill, who was drafted in the first round out of Arizona a few years ago, is averaging nearly five points and five rebounds this season. He will provide L.A. with some needed front court depth for the playoff run.
I'm sure we'll hear plenty of whispers in the coming hours now that the 2012 trade deadline has passed. This is just weird.
To discuss the deal with other fans and to talk Lakers hoops, head on over to Silver Screen and Roll.