Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Derek Fisher, who was traded to the Houston Rockets from the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, was not with the Rockets Saturday for their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

“I haven’t seen Derek yet,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “I have not talked to him.”

“Not with team” was written next to Fisher’s name on the Rockets’ roster signed by McHale, who did not know what the team’s plans were for Fisher.

“That’s not in my job description,” McHale said. “He’s not here. If he was here he’d play. He’s not here. I haven’t seen him yet.”

Fisher had been the NBA’s active leader for the longest regular-season consecutive games streak, having played in 537 consecutive games heading into Saturday. He had not missed a game since the 2004-05 season, when he was with the Golden State Warriors.

The 16-year veteran, who turned 37 in August, was traded Thursday to the Rockets along with the first-round pick acquired from Dallas in the Lamar Odom trade for center Jordan Hill.

WRITTEN BY & FULL STORY HERE

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FROM ASN:

On Friday, Lakers star Kobe Bryant said he had contacted longtime teammate Derek Fisher about the trade that sent him from the Lakers to the Rockets. Bryant acknowledged that the conversation was emotional, by his standards, saying, “We just talked about the good times and what a fun time it was to go to battle together and things like that, but that’s about as sentimental as I’m going to get.”

Rockets coach Kevin McHale probably would have liked it if Bryant had forwarded the call to him when it was over. Two days after the Rockets and Lakers completed the deal, Fisher still has not reported to the team, even though Houston is here at the Staples Center to play the Clippers. Fisher could seek to get a buyout from the Rockets rather than report to a team that is fighting to get into the playoffs.

Before the game here, McHale was asked what the status with Fisher was. “Don’t know,” McHale said. “I haven’t seen Derek yet.”

Asked if he had an idea when he would know, McHale laughed and said, “Not while we’re doing this interview.”

Asked if he had a plan for Fisher when he does show, McHale said, “I have not talked—you know what, it’s not my job description. He’s not here so I don’t know. If he was here he’d play. He’s not here, I haven’t seen him yet.”

Being without Fisher has left the Rockets in a pretty big bind. With starter Kyle Lowry out, they don’t have a point guard to back up Goran Dragic, and the Rockets also have Kevin Martin and Courtney Lee injured. That leaves McHale with only about eight players.

“Who’s gonna play is gonna play. We are low on numbers right now, but guys have to go out there and play hard,” McHale said. “There won’t be a lot of rest for the guys, they’ll have to have shorter rest period and get back into the game. But a couple guys will get to play some minutes that haven’t played much.”

WRITTEN BY Sean Deveney/Sporting News & FULL STORY HERE