EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant joined the Los Angeles Lakers together in 1996. They’ve been in the same backcourt for most of the ensuing 16 seasons, winning five NBA titles during their intertwined careers.

Fisher’s departure Thursday for Houston and Ramon Sessions’ arrival from Cleveland made the Lakers younger and faster at point guard, their weakest position.

The Lakers don’t yet know if the trades made the NBA’s sixth-best team any better — and they still don’t know whether the moves made Bryant angry.

General manager Mitch Kupchak said he didn’t speak to Bryant before or after trading Fisher.