Derek Fisher (sinusitis) was sent home from Thursday's practice.

Fisher is just feeling a little under the weather. The ironman hasn't missed a game since 2005, making it likely he's in the starting lineup against the Suns Friday. Fisher is averaging 5.1 points and 3.7 assists this season.

Derek Fisher drained a game-winning 3-point shot in the Lakers' 73-70 win over the Mavs on Monday, and finished with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Fisher isn't likely to hold fantasy value in 12-14 team leagues with Steve Blake (ribs) out, and despite a few interesting stat lines he's still on the outside looking in. Tonight's game was a smattering of quiet performances by the Lakers, as Kobe Bryant hit 7-of-22 shots (0-for-3 from deep) with seven assists, and Pau Gasol had eight points on 3-of-11 shooting with six boards and a block.

Derek Fisher took over full point guard duties for the Lakers on Friday with Steve Blake (ribs) now out 3-4 weeks, and finished with a season-high 10 assists to go with two points, three steals, and one rebound in 30 minutes.

This is just the 15th time Fisher has cleared the 10-assist mark in his entire career, so we're not overly excited here. He has proven time and time again that he cannot hold fantasy value, regardless of the minutes he gets. Make him produce again before considering Fisher in most formats.

Derek Fisher had seven points, four rebounds and eight assists on 3-of-9 shooting Wednesday.

That's actually a great line for Fisher, who should start for the Lakers, but don't count on seeing this type of production from him often. If you're short on PGs at the end of your draft though, feel free to take a flier.

Derek Fisher won't play on Monday to get some rest and try to avoid injury after spending much of the offseason in a suit and tie, negotiating the new CBA.

Tonight's game will be must-see TV for many NBA fans as Chris Paul will make his Clippers debut against the Lakers, who he was almost traded to. Steve Blake will likely start at PG for the Lakers.

Head Coach Mike Brown has said that he is "pretty sure" Derek Fisher will start over Steve Blake at point guard this year because of how Fisher fits with the other starters.

Fisher will start, but Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will eat first at the Lakers' fantasy table, so Fisher is merely a roster filler for now.

The NBA Board of Governors approved the new CBA for 10 years by a vote of 25-5 on Thursday.

That officially ends the lockout, while free agency starts at 2 p.m. on Friday, with training camps opening the same day. We've already seen Chris Paul traded and we're not even to Friday yet. Consider the lockout book closed. And with Chris Paul heading to L.A., we might also be closing the book on Derek Fisher blurbs.

The NBPA has reportedly approved the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

It's become an afterthought among a frenzy of trade rumors and free agent handshake agreements, but the new CBA hasn't technically been ratified. The owners will soon vote on the CBA and the stage is now set for free agency and training camp to begin simultaneously on Friday, as planned.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that under the new CBA, players can be tested for performance-enhancing drugs twice per offseason beginning in 2012-13.

Berger also reports that there isn't currently an HGH test in the new CBA. Players are expected to begin voting on the new CBA Wednesday evening.

The players will begin voting electronically on the new CBA beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET and running until Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that "drama and angst" continue to be surrounding both players and owners, but there's no reason to think that any of that drama will affect the final outcome adversely. Hit the link below for a detailed breakdown of the latest from both sides on the soon-to-be-ratified new CBA.

The NBPA has officially re-formed as a union, allowing them to ratify the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

This is just another step toward the season officially coming back on line, but there's no way it's getting derailed at this point. Hopefully within a week the only Derek Fisher blurbs will be about his role alongside Steve Blake.

Howard Beck of the New York Times reported Thursday that the Players Association announced that a majority of NBA players voted to re-form the union, another crucial step in officially ending the lockout.

The new CBA couldn't be completed and ratified until the union was re-formed, and a vote on ratification is expected to happen next week. And once that's done, this thing is essentially in the books.

There is a push from at least a dozen agents to have NBPA executive director Billy Hunter installed only on an interim basis as the players union re-forms.

The agents and players are not happy with Hunter and don't want him to cruise into a new long-term contract by way of this agreement. "Players aren't saying it, but they're [angry]," said one of the agents. "And on top of that, they lost 20 percent of their money for a deal that could've been done two months ago." We agree, as it was clear that Hunter didn't want to give up his post and decertified about three months late. The owners were the bad guys in this lockout, but Hunter was the guy who couldn't tie his shoes.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the NBPA needs 260 signed cards from players voting in favor of re-forming the union by Thursday night in order to continue negotiating a new CBA.

Players will still be allowed to use team facilities on Thursday, and we're assuming/hoping that they'll be organized enough to meet the Thursday deadline to re-establish the union. The players received the union authorization cards on Tuesday, and are presumably getting frequent reminders from their agents to get them signed and returned on time.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that NBA executives have been told that players will be allowed back into practice facilities on Friday.

Additionally, teams will also be able to start talking to player agents on Wednesday, which means the end of the lockout is very close to being official. No deals can be announced until Dec. 9, but expect the rumor mill to crank up, starting on Wednesday.

Alan Hahn is reporting that a Minnesota judge has granted a request from NBA players for a stay on the antitrust lawsuit they filed against the NBA.

The suit is expected to be dismissed once a settlement is finalized and the players association re-forms. In other words, things are shaping up nicely for a Christmas Day start to the season.

NBPA director Billy Hunter told players in a memo that they will receive 51.2% of BRI during the 2011-12 season.

The players were getting 57% under the former deal, and the BRI split was a contentious issue, but it seems the players came away with an acceptable share. The players' union needs to officially 're-form' after it was technically disbanded, at which point the CBA can be legally drawn up and ratified by the NBPA and the Board of Governors.

The owners and players have tentatively agreed to a new CBA, and a 66-game season is expected to begin on Christmas Day.

"We expect our labor relations committee to endorse this deal, this tentative agreement, and we expect our Board of Governors ... to endorse the deal," said David Stern. The process of ratifying the new agreement will take approximately 3-7 days, according to NBPA director Billy Hunter, at which point there will be a flood of information about player movement, conditioning, and more. It's game time.

The NBA lockout has ended according to multiple sources.

The sides met for over 15 hours on Friday and are currently holding a joint press conference. We will keep you updated on the details and will be releasing the 2011-12 draft guide as soon as the important bargaining details are hammered out.

The NBA lockout talks have extended past midnight on Friday night, with equal parts optimism and pessimism across the spectrum of NBA reporters.

There are some writers who have followed the lockout that believe the proceedings are going according to script, but it's hard to follow the daily events without riding the roller coaster somewhat. The bottom line is that David Stern's 'reset proposal' is the real season-killer for fans. If that happens, the players have a real reason to hunker down. However, the players would be making a mistake of historic proportions if they head into long-term litigation without the full support of its membership -- and multiple sources question if they have it. That's why some of our writers have believed that the matter was mostly settled after Stern's threat, with the players' disclaiming being the final push they needed to get some last concessions. Stay tuned.