"The Mavericks need a veteran presence in the backcourt to help mentor Darren Collison.

They don't come much more veteran than Derek Fisher.

The Mavs will sign the 38-year-old Fisher on Thursday, presuming he passes a physical exam.

The hope is that Fisher can step in — probably as the eventual starter at point guard — and give Collison, who is 13 years younger than Fisher, the opportunity to learn the position from one of the game's clutch players.

When Collison had a good game Tuesday in Philadelphia coming off the bench, coach Rick Carlisle said he liked what he saw.

"I loved the way he played in Philly," said Carlisle, who announced the Fisher news after the Mavericks' 101-78 blowout loss to Chicago on Wednesday night. "I think that's a great role for him right now. I think Fisher can help us as a starter. This is a great opportunity for Darren to develop into a true starting point guard in this league.

"I really like Darren Collison as a player, and I like him even better as a person. But putting him in a position to be the starter on this team right now isn't fair to him. With Derek coming in, it's a great opportunity for Darren to learn from one of the greatest winners in the history of the game."