While We’re Waiting… Big League Choo, RB Depth and Azubuike Who?
July 6, 2012Indians 3 Rays 1: Tomlin Steps Up
July 6, 2012Looking to address their reserve point guard position, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the handful of teams in the running as potential suitors for Derek Fisher.
Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that, with this week’s point guard carousel resulting in Jason Kidd signing with the New York Knicks, the team’s interest in Fisher has decreased leaving five teams in the running; the Cavaliers along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks.
Fisher, who won five titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, joined the Thunder in February and was a key part of the rotation for for the team which would eventually fall victim to the Miami Heat in the finals. Recall that the Cavaliers were at team that was hot after Fisher in 2006 when he was ultimately traded from Golden State to the Utah Jazz. With his daughter fighting retinal cancer, Fisher — in need of a city where top-flight hospitalization was an amenity — was thought to have been considering Cleveland just one year later but opted to re-join the Lakers after being let out of his contract.
The addition of Fisher, albeit several years after the initial desire, would immediately provide the Cavaliers with a solid option behind Kyrie Irving as well as the veteran presence since vacated by the retirement of Anthony Parker and free agency of Antawn Jamison.
[Related: Who Should the Cavs Target in Free Agency?]
33 Comments
would be perfect for Dion Waiters to shadow. But wonder if this rumor is a savvy vet negotiating ploy to get more money from some team closer to getting a ring. He’s an hundred years old doesn’t need to go through the road grind on a rebuilding team.
Agreed on all accounts. I was never a huge fan, although I respected him as a father. Can’t imagine us being at the top of his wish list, but would definitely be a nice score if it happens.
Yea I can’t seethis happening either but it would be nice. It would be nice to see a veteran all be it part time at the very end of his career champion choose to come to Cleveland. His resume speaks for itself. What he would lack on the court he’d more then make up for off it. All that aside resigning with OKC would make the most sense.
I’m not sure it would… remember, the Thunder have Eric Maynor coming back from injury and they’re pretty high on him. If you’re Fish, do you go there to be the third PG? Honestly, I could see him in Chicago or Dallas before Cleveland, but like you I’d love to have him. He’s still a good defensive player and he can hit a 3-pointer and the mentorship for the young guys would be fantastic. At this point in his career though, it’s hard to see Fish not going for another ring.
This is the opposite of what the Cavs need to be doing. If you want Fisher to help coach up your young guards, hire him as a coach, not to take minutes away from them.
Steve, who is Fish taking minutes from? The Cavs don’t have a backup PG at this point. Talk is that they would be interested in Jose Calderon if he becomes available as well, but he’s not a young guy. I agree that if there’s a young guy the Cavs like at PG (like if they were high on Donald Sloan), then there’s no need for Fish but I don’t think that’s the case here. But they don’t appear to be too high on Sloan if they’re shopping for backup PGs.
Agreed, although the Cavaliers already have an excellent coach for their guards…his name is Byron Scott.
Fisher is taking minutes away from any young backup PG who could at least possibly contribute when this team becomes a contender. Sure, they’re all long shots, but Fisher has absolutely no chance to be a useful piece here in 3 years (if he could even be one this year).
throw fish back in the lake, he is all washed up. we dont need another bum on are d-league team aka the cavs
Chicago would make sense which reminds me John Lucas is still out there I think. He did pretty well helping to fill in when Rose went down and is still relatively young.
The problem is there isn’t any young backup PG which is why Fisher is being discussed.
Really? There is no one 25 or younger with some professional or at least high-level college basketball experience that would like to get paid at least 500k by the Cavaliers? I’ll take more Sloans over Fisher any day of the week.
I’m not sure why it matters if we go with a young guy or a vet? The Cavs have Kyrie, so whoever we build up to play PG will always sit behind him. There will be other solid vets available and ready to roll the dice with the Cavs when Fish’s contract is up if it means a shot at a title.
He can’t play and his only benefit would be locker room. Oh wait, I just described Anthony Parker! In that case, sign Fisher immediately!
Come on. This signing could only be about maybe trading him for another draft pick mid season again because if Kyrie got hurt the season is over anyways.
Might as well just bring back Eric Snow.
Why is there all of this talk about a “veteran presence” needed in a locker room. What use is the coach, then? And Byron Scott is a good one, too.
Don’t forget that Waiters can also handle the point, and on draft night they talked about having him do that when Kyrie was on the bench. So I agree, doubt this year’s old vet presence will be seeing as much court time as Parker. Hopefully the new old guys will primarily be just towel waivers and team curfew lecturers. I hope.
I forgot the words, “on the team currently,” sorry Steve buddy o’ mine. If you weren’t so cool you’d be annoying! Have a nice day.
I think Fisher would bring a little more to the team then an Eric Snow but not a bad reference. A young inexperienced team can always benefit from guys who have been in the league awhile but more importantly won championships. The head coach can’t do everything, be everywhere. Perhaps it’s just easier for the players to relate to one another as opposed to their coach.
Right… I was thinking that Fisher would be used much like he was in OKC as a spot-up shooter and secondary ball-handler on offense, where James Harden was the primary ball-handler and playmaker in OKC. Because of Waiters’ knack to want to have the ball in his hands, I was thinking he’d probably be a faux-6 like Harden, Ginobli, Crawford, etc. Byron Scott has said he is open to that and thought about that, but isn’t ready to lock Waiters into that role now. With all of that said, I really don’t think Fish is coming to Cleveland, so I’m not sure why I’m even commenting about it.
Just saw Cavs missed out on Brandon Roy and nicolas Batum. They should overpay Roy before considering Fisher because if Roy stayed healthy at least he could benefit the team. Just don’t understand moves when there isn’t a purpose behind it. Develop younger players unless you have a chance to win a championship.
Batum would be the one to overpay for.
you remind me of that guy in Major League 2. You’re off the boat and won’t jump back on until they’re in the NBA Finals
I disagree. I would of definitely tried to sign and make an offer to either 1 but with Batum you would be buying high. With Roy you would be buying low as long as you could get out early if there was another injury. Regardless I like both players and they say that we had no shot at Batum anyways but I hope front office realizes they will have to overpay someone at some point if it ends up being for the betterment of the team.
first off the cavs are my favorite team, 2nd they will never make a finals again unless LBJ return. every team in the NBA has gotten alot better since the draft, some overpayed for F/A but atlease they are trying to get better… NETS, KNICKS, CELTICS, BULLS, HEAT… thats 5 teams that we can not beat in a 7 game series @nova buckeye, we did get 2 good picks in the draft but them + kyrie & andy is still not better then the PACERS, 76ERS, BUCKS, HAWKS, MAGIC and they will get good piece’s back for the big cry baby aka d12, we are in the class with the wizards, raptors, pistons that has all gotten a little better also. we have atlease 6-8 players on our team that should not be in the NBA or hell the WNBA, BELEIVELAND is all we can do bro…GO CAVS
The future is bright with PG Kyrie(CHRIS PAUL) SG Waiters (D-WADE) SF Casspi or Gee PF Varejao C Zeller with boobie and TT coming off gives us a pretty good 8 players… but an O.J.Mayo, Fylnn and IIyasova will make this a dangerous team… We will be very young & way under the salary cap…
Ray Allen to the Heat. Wake me up when the NBA goes on strike and fixes the CBA,
i think you usually get a better deal overpaying someone else’s mistake via trade. so, keep the cap space and work the phones.
well, Fisher can at least hit a wide-open 3, but yeah
If brandon roy is healthy he is worth between 10 to 12 million a year. If we payed him around 12 or a little more for 2 years that would have been overpaying him but still getting value at paying him less than 7 million a year. There are certain situations like this the cavs should try to take advantage of because it seems like a good risk with upside for someone who has 20 a game potential. If he gets hurt again you only have 2 years invested and you will be so young right now anyway and not be paying a lot of players anyway. They should go after Steve Novak too because New York is busy signing Lin and Jason Kidd and we can get him right now. If we got Roy and Novak this gives us some great perimeter scoring potential for not that much money for the nba.
The vet costs more, and is not a part of what should be the Cavs plan – winning 3 years from now. Don’t make perfect the enemy of good.
So we want to pay about 1.5 million for a guy to waive a towel and make sure Irving and Waiters don’t do anything too stupid when they go out? Why not pick up an actual coach instead.
The arguments for Fisher have been pretty much ‘why not?’ and ‘good for our young guards to be around’. Let’s use roster spots on guys who might help the team become a contender with their efforts on the court.
He’s not getting you a draft pick. The Lakers used him as salary filler last year.