Derek Fisher Returns to the Oklahoma City Thunder

After a nine game stint with the Dallas Mavericks this season, 17th year guard Derek Fisher will be returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Going online now at ESPN with @ramonashelburne: OKC Thunder close to re-signing Derek Fisher after trading away Eric Maynor last week

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 25, 2013

This will be Fisher’s second time in the last two seasons playing on the Thunder, playing alongside Kevin Durant and company in the 2012 season and playoffs.

Just a few days ago at the trade deadline the Thunder traded fourth year guard Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers for a $2.2 million trade-exception. With only two point guards currently on the roster, Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson, it looks like Sam Presti and Scott Brooks are looking for both insurance as the third point guard on the roster and his veteran leadership. Fisher’s familiarity with the coaching staff and Reggie Jackson’s inconsistency over his career obviously made it an easy choice to bring him back in.

While in Dallas earlier this season Fisher averaged 8.6 points and 3.4 assists in nine games as the starting point guard in Dallas.

At the age of 38 Fisher certainly isn’t better than Reggie Jackson nor was he better than Mavericks guard Darren Collison, but coaches seem to love what he brings on the court despite him not playing quality basketball in the last three or four seasons. Unless a major injury goes down or Jacksons’ play slips throughout the season, I can’t imagine Fisher playing secondary minutes at the moment. It’s unclear whether Fisher is in basketball shape as he hasn’t played in an NBA game since the middle of December.

Over 17 seasons, Fisher has averaged 8.6 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 37 percent from the field. He won five championships between 2000 and 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers. This will be the sixth team he’s played for in his career.