Derek Fisher

The Thunder, Bulls and Heat are three teams that could end up signing Derek Fisher once he clears waivers.

Oklahoma City are looking to add point guard depth behind Russell Westbrook due to the season-ending injury to Eric Maynor. Fisher has interest in joining Chicago or Heat where he would be able to compete for a title.

The Clippers, according to sources, are not likely to pursue Fisher.

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Derek Fisher

The Los Angeles Lakers traded longtime point guard Derek Fisher after acquiring Ramon Sessions earlier in the day, according to sources.

Fisher, who has spent 13 of his 16 NBA seasons with the Lakers, was dealt to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.

The Lakers will also send a first-round pick, which was previously acquired from Dallas, in this year’s draft.

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Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry has been diagnosed with a bacterial infection after complaining of fever and abdominal distress and has been hospitalized in New York since Thursday.

Lowry will be administered antibiotic treatment for the infection and is expected out from two to four weeks.

“It’s tough, it’s tough,” forward Chase Budinger said.

“He’s definitely our leader and our go-to player on the team. Missing him for the next month or so is going to hurt us very much. The rest of us have to really step up because it’s a big hole to fill.”

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According to sources, the Rockets still are interested in acquiring Pau Gasol and they would likely be willing to trade Kevin Martin and Luis Scola for the Spaniard.

Pau Gasol

But the Lakers are unlikely to move Gasol without acquiring a point guard back in return and Houston is not interested in trading Kyle Lowry.

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The Houston Rockets have reached terms on a new contract with free-agent center Samuel Dalembert, according to sources close to the situation.

Samuel Dalembert

Sources told ESPN.com that Dalembert has agreed to a two-year deal worth $13.7 million — $7 million this season and $6.7 million in 2012-13. But the Rockets have a team option for the second season that would allow them to buy out of the contract for a fee of $1.5 million.

Dalembert told Fox Sports Florida on Tuesday night that he was on the verge of re-signing with the Sacramento Kings, but the Kings issued a news release Wednesday afternoon saying they had withdrawn their offer to Dalembert.

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The blockbuster Chris Paul trade is off, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Other media outlets have confirmed that the deal is dead.

Chris Paul

NBA owners have pushed David Stern to kill a proposed trade that would send Paul to the Lakers from the NBA-owned Hornets.

Owners were irate with Stern during Thursday’s Board of Governors meeting.

Hornets’ GM Dell Demps received pressure from the NBA to back out of the agreed-upon trade and keep Paul, say sources.

The Rockets were also involved in the trade that was agreed upon in principle. Pau Gasol would have gone to Houston, while Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Lamar Odom and Goran Dragic were set to be deal to the Hornets.

“WoW,” wrote Chris Paul on Twitter as a response.

Paul will report for Hornets training camp on Friday.

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Pau Gasol

The Hornets are engaged in trade talks with the Lakers and Rockets about a three-team trade that would send Chris Paul to Los Angeles and Pau Gasol to Houston, sources said.

The Hornets would receive either Luis Scola or Kevin Martin, and possibly both, as well as draft picks. Houston owns the New York Knicks’ first-round pick from 2012, as well as its own.

The Rockets also have young assets to offer New Orleans in players like Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill.

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Aaron Brooks has agreed to a one-year deal with Guandong of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to sources.

Aaron Brooks

Brooks is a popular player in China due to his tenure as a teammate with Yao Ming on the Rockets.

Brooks is a restricted free agent in the NBA and therefore will be able to fulfill his contractual obligation to play in China for the entire season. Brooks was traded to the Suns in February.

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Yao Ming

With the door to the NBA that swung open nine years ago closed to him, Yao Ming on Wednesday chose “a new life.”

Yao announced his retirement in a ceremony and news conference in Shanghai, citing the repeated injuries to his left foot and ankle.

“At the end of the last year, my left foot had a third fracture,” Yao said.

“Today, I need to make a personal decision. I will stop my basketball career and I will formally retire. Today, thinking back and thinking of the future, I have been very grateful. First of all, I need to be grateful to basketball. It has brought happiness to many people including myself.

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Yao Ming

Yao Ming, one of the seminal figures in the globalization of the NBA, has decided to retire after eight injury-plagued seasons with the Houston Rockets, according to league sources.

Yao, who missed all but five games of the 2010-11 season, has not been able to fully recover from a tendon strain in his left leg.

The veteran center informed the Rockets, the league office in New York, and NBA China of his decision to leave the game within the past 48 hours, sources said. Yao was set to become a free agent once the league’s lockout ends.

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