When the Knicks acquired Zach Randolph last week they welcomed in one of the more troubled players in the NBA. Now they have a chance to get one of the league's good guys.

Derek Fisher, who was released by the Jazz in order to take better care of his ill daughter, would love to play in New York, where little Tatum has been receiving treatments for retinoblastoma.


His agent, Mark Bartelstein, spoke to Knicks assistant general manager Glen Grunwald yesterday about the possibility, which is probably a bit remote.

The Knicks have 17 players on the roster and are stocked at guard, but for Fisher it would be the perfect match.

"It's all very preliminary," said Bartelstein, one of this summer's busiest representatives, with a dozen free-agent clients. "Obviously, Derek would have a lot of interest in New York."

Bartelstein said his client plans on playing next season, and a return to the Lakers, where he could be a starter, is probably a stronger possibility than the Knicks.

But if the Knicks make some moves and open up space, Fisher would welcome the opportunity to play in the same city where his daughter is receiving care.

Since May, 11-month-old Tatum Fisher has been receiving treatment at Memorial Sloane-Kettering in Manhattan. Other cities, including Los Angeles, have hospitals that treat retiniblastoma, a cancerous tumor in the eye, but the standard treatment often involves the loss of the eye. Doctors at Sloane-Kettering have developed a new procedure -- intra-arterial chemotherapy -- that can save the eye.

While adding another guard, even a veteran with strong leadership skills, isn't a priority for the Knicks, the team couldn't do any better in terms of adding a model citizen.

Ron Artest continues to be an option for the Knicks, although it is not believed to be hot-and-heavy option right now. Like Randolph, Artest has had trouble with the law, most recently an arrest in March for domestic abuse. He also has a questionable left knee. In January, he had an MRI and told reporters from New York that it revealed, "some things in there," that needed to be monitored.

wouldn't you want to be a knick? free money!

Honestly I would rather have Fisher than Artest. Fisher is a sniper from the outside and would be a great back up PG on the Knicks. His daughter needs to be in NY. Fisher needs to be on the Knicks.

Pass. He's not that good from outside and doesn't PASS the ball very much.

Posted by Cookdcokehop:

Honestly I would rather have Fisher than Artest. Fisher is a sniper from the outside and would be a great back up PG on the Knicks. His daughter needs to be in NY. Fisher needs to be on the Knicks.

It's sad but he would have to sign for a little below market value here for the sole reason his daughter needs to be in NY. The man wouldn't be able to guarantee(understandably)he will be available for all 82 games plus whatever playoff games we are in. I only say this because if he was signed he would automatically be our backup PG and possibly our best defender. He would be an important part of this team.

I'd love to have him but the situation really sucks.

the guy's a leader. he's a professional. he helps teams win. he's a playoff performer. and he's a veteran.

no, we don't need any of that...we're choc-full of that already...

Fisher knows how to win and you pay him no mind during a game and he'll kill ya.

We can't forget 0.04 vs San Antonio where he put the nail in the coffin with that ridiculous shot.

dude is a smart ballplayer and can lock you down on defense.

Fisher can hit the 3 and play D. He's the perfect backup PG on a team with title aspirations. I can see why he'd want to be in NY to get treatment for his daughter. Unfortuanately the team in this city is a bit of a strange fit.

He'd do well to go NJ to backup Kidd.

Posted by VDesai:

Fisher can hit the 3 and play D. He's the perfect backup PG on a team with title aspirations. I can see why he'd want to be in NY to get treatment for his daughter. Unfortuanately the team in this city is a bit of a strange fit.

He'd do well to go NJ to backup Kidd.

Good call.

If we could trade Utah for him this could work, but if they have full released him I don't see how we can pick him up.

I would love Fisher to play here but not at the expense of just cutting Nate and/or Collins, both of whom have an immense amount of talent. We would likely need to make two trades to get down to 14 players. If it is possibly, make it happen, but I don't want the team to make hasty moves in an effort to get Fisher.