NBA's King of Talking

On February 22, just before the trade deadline, the Thunder made a trade!

According to ESPN, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers have reached a trade agreement, with the Thunder sending Eric Mayno to the Blazers in exchange for a trade exception and the signing rights to Greek forward Ciorcios.

This trade is essentially giving Mayo away for free to the Thunder. The trade exception is somewhat useful, but this team doesn't pay the luxury tax. Once Jabbar re-signs next season, they won't have any extra salary cap space, and the only thing they can do is use the trade exception. But the problem is that they'll have to pay the luxury tax then, and the team owner, Bennett, is the same kind of owner as the Rockets' owner, who extremely dislikes it.

The biggest beneficiary of this trade is Reggie. Meno was originally his biggest competitor, and now that Meno is gone, it's only natural for him to enter the rotation.

But there's also the question of whether the Thunder will sign another guard in free agency if Mayo is traded.

This possibility exists, but signing another guard would involve integration issues. There aren't many games left in the regular season, and point guards, unlike 3-and-D players and centers, can't be used immediately; they need a long time to integrate, which is disadvantageous for a team aiming for the championship.

The Thunder currently have one spot on their roster, and they clearly intend to find a bargain in the free agent market, specifically a guard.

On February 23, the Thunder hosted the Timberwolves. In this game, Reggie Jackson entered the rotation, playing as Westbrook's backup.

The game was largely predictable, with the Thunder easily defeating their opponents and ending their embarrassing three-game losing streak.

After the game, Reggie asked Jia Fei anxiously, "Jia, do you think the management will bring in another defender?"

Jia Fei nodded: "That's entirely possible!"

“Well… sigh…” Reggie seemed a little troubled.

Jia Fei laughed and said, "What's there to worry about? Even if we sign one, do you think there are any really strong point guards on the market right now? Even if there are, would they be willing to come? Besides, they'd need time to gel with the team, and the team doesn't have that much leeway for them to do that! You're one of the team's own players, and you've performed well since you entered the rotation. The team would be crazy to not use you and use someone else!"

After Jia Fei's analysis, Reggie realized that his worries were completely unnecessary and didn't make any logical sense!

"Thank you, Jia, it's so good to have you!" Reggie said gratefully.

"Oh my, is this really okay?" Lamb said meaningfully.

"Go away, go watch your little movie!" Jia Fei said with a laugh.

"Do you have any new seeds?" Lamb asked, his tone shifting with anticipation and eagerness.

"Sure, I'll give it to you in a bit!" Jia Fei was an old hand at this; of course he had all sorts of things, especially since things were more open in the US, where you could get all kinds. In this regard, Lamb was practically a junior to him.

On February 25, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced on their official website the signing of 38-year-old veteran Derek Fisher.

This news has attracted considerable attention throughout the NBA.

This isn't Fisher's first time joining the Thunder. He joined at last year's trade deadline and became a locker room leader, playing a crucial role in the team's playoff run. However, he didn't re-sign with the Thunder last offseason and instead signed with the Mavericks on November 29, 2012.

After signing with the Mavericks, he played a total of 9 games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.6 assists per game, becoming a very consistent scorer off the bench. In a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he injured his knee after only 5 minutes on the court and was placed on the injured list. On December 23, the Mavericks agreed to terminate his contract at his request, ending their partnership in less than a month. His stated reason for resigning was his urgent desire to return home to be with his family.

Fisher's signing with the Thunder was somewhat sudden; there were no prior signs, and the signing happened all at once.

Even at 38 years old, Fisher is still in great shape. His behind-the-back three-pointer is still accurate, and he is strong enough to play on the wing. In addition, he has rich playoff experience and can also act as a locker room glue. He is the type of player that championship contenders like.

Fisher is here, and Reggie is in a daze again... He had planned everything, but he didn't expect Fisher to come... You know, there really aren't any strong point guards left in the free agent market. Jia Fei's analysis was correct, but he overlooked Fisher...

Fisher played for the Thunder last season, so he won't need much adjustment period. Plus, he's an experienced guard, which is the type Brooks really likes.

On the evening of the 25th, the Thunder will host the Bulls, and Derek Fisher will not play in this game.

Reggie is still in the rotation, but his heart is already with Old Fish...

The game was won easily, but Reggie's expression was anything but relaxed.

On the way back, Reggie pulled Jia Fei aside and started complaining, he hadn't expected Lao Yu to come.

“Jia, I’m really not complaining, but we all miscalculated. We didn’t expect Derek to come!” Reggie looked ashen-faced, as if he had been sentenced to death.

Jia Fei could understand this feeling; he had indeed never anticipated Lao Yu's divination!

Jia Fei thought for a moment and said, "Reggie, I think you don't need to be so conflicted and lack confidence. Are you afraid you can't compete with Derrick? He's 38 years old. Even if he still has gas left in the tank, how much can he have? As long as Coach Brooks isn't biased, I think you should be ranked ahead of him. Maybe the team signed him just to increase bench depth, prevent injuries, and gain some experience in the playoffs. You don't need to be so pessimistic!"

Jia Fei's words made Reggie feel much better. Yes, why would he be afraid of a 38-year-old fish?

Jia Fei added, "I suddenly remembered something!"

"What's up?" Reggie now regarded Jia Fei as a living saint; he thought this teammate was incredibly smart!

Jia Fei said, "That's right, Derrick plays point guard, but you're a combo guard, so you two can actually play together!"

Reggie slapped his thigh: "Yeah, how come I didn't think of that!" But he immediately shook his head and said, "But if we all go together, won't it affect your chance to play?"

Jia Fei laughed and said, "If we play a small lineup, I can also play the power forward position. That's no problem. It just depends on how the coaching staff arranges the rotation!"

"Yes, I feel much better now that you say that!" Reggie said gratefully.

On February 26, Fisher officially returned to the Thunder family. He was still the same as last year, friendly to everyone. He was very popular, and no one on the team disliked him.