Do the Lakers have options other than Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar?

Broderick Turner covers the Lakers for The Times. Readers’ questions about the Lakers will be answered every week.

Question: Is there any indication that Lakers management is formulating a long-range plan (e.g., beyond 2009-10) for the point guard position? At this moment, they appear to be stuck in a situation going forward where the two main options appear to be playing an aging Derek Fisher too many minutes or signing an undeserving Jordan Farmar to a contract extension. Is there an option there?

Benjamin Johnson

Santa Clara CA

Answer: Of course, there are always options.

The Lakers can trade for a point guard. They can use their mid-level exception during the summer to sign a point guard. They can draft a point guard, but they probably will draft so low that there won’t be any quality point guards left by then.

So, you don’t like the idea of the Lakers signing Farmar to an extension? You don’t think Fisher can handle the minutes anymore at his age?

Shannon Brown, though not a true point guard, has played well in the backcourt for the Lakers, and he has the size and strength that Lakers Coach Phil Jackson likes in his guards.

Q: I am so curious how (Lakers Coach) Phil (Jackson) and Kobe (Bryant) “negotiate” his shot totals per game. Is it not clear that for the most part when Kobe takes 20ish shots they’ll win? I mean, does Phil ever say, “Kobe, let’s keep it around 20 tonight?” P.S. I love Kobe.

Henry Moreno

Portland, Ore.

A: Negotiate?

Are you kidding?

There have been times when Jackson has asked Bryant to get his teammates more involved in early parts of the game, or in early parts of the quarter.

But never how many shots Bryant should take.

Entering Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bryant was taking 23.2 shots per game this season, the most attempts in the NBA.

But he’s also making 47.7% of his shots, 32.1% of his three-pointers.

He’s tied with Denver’s Carmelo Anthony for the NBA’s scoring lead at 30 points per game.

Q: Hey, not sure how much Michael Redd makes, I know his contract is up soon. (Adam) Morrison and Sasha (Vujacic) for him? KB (Kobe Bryant) and Redd are close from the Olympics.

John Fish

Minneapolis

A: Hey, John, dream on, buddy. I wouldn’t do that if I was playing fantasy basketball -- and I don’t even play.

Man, you’ve got to get real.

You want Dwight Howard too?

How about LeBron James, while you’re at it?

But, hey, I see your point. You love your Lakers, and you want them to rob other teams so your team can win all the time.

Q: (Derek) Fisher says he is not struggling, and it is a team game. So what part of the team game is he helping with? It is certainly not Defense !!! He is getting lit up every night.

I think it is time for him to retire, but he refuses to deal with reality. (Lakers Coach Phil) Jackson knows his defense and shooting are terrible or he would have him playing in the 4th quarter.

Al Schwartz

Marina del Rey

A: Wow, Al, you want D-Fish to retire?

Most of you Lakers fans want him to be traded.

No, Fisher is not going to retire, nor should he. Yes, he has been struggling.

But one can’t overstate the importance of having Fisher for locker room chemistry, for the respect his teammates give him, for his guidance. Those are very important things when you have a Lakers locker room with so many egos and agendas.

Fisher will have his moments this season, like when he hit a big three-pointer against the Miami Heat that allowed Kobe Bryant to eventually win the game with a three-pointer.

And don’t forget those two big three-pointers Fisher hit during Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic last June.

No, Fisher is not the player he once was.

But retire right now?

No way.

Readers can e-mail their questions about the Lakers to our beat reporters, Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner. But please put “Q&A” in the subject line. E-mail:

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