Cooper Near End as Laker? : Pro basketball: Club plans to waive him and, if other teams pass, he will be free to play in Italy.

Michael Cooper’s 12-year career with the Lakers will be over in a week, if all goes according to plan.

The team is planning to put Cooper on waivers Wednesday, and any NBA club would then have 48 hours to claim him at his salary of a little more than $600,000.

Should all pass, Cooper would be free to accept a three-year, $5-million offer from Il Messaggero Roma of the Italian League.

Cooper, 34, has reportedly sent word to every NBA club that he wants to go to Europe and would not look favorably on being claimed. The exception would be a contending club, especially one willing to extend and enhance his contract, which expires after the coming season.

According to sources, Cooper was told by both Laker owner Jerry Buss and General Manager Jerry West that he was welcome to remain with the team but would not receive a contract extension or additional money. He was also told it would be fine with the Lakers if he looked elsewhere.

Neither Buss nor West could be reached for comment Friday.

“The ball is pretty much in Michael’s court,” Laker assistant general manager Mitch Kupchak said. “He has to decide which way he wants to go.”

Had the Lakers put Cooper on waivers earlier, other clubs would have had 10 days to claim him. Starting Wednesday, the period is cut to 48 hours.

Facing an uncertain future here, Cooper contemplated “retiring” to get out of his contract, then resurfacing overseas.

But the league office wouldn’t buy that.

“Just because a player says he is retiring doesn’t make his contract evaporate,” said Gary Bettman, the league’s general counsel. “If the Lakers don’t wish to have him on their roster, he must be offered to other teams before his contract is terminated.”

If Cooper had tried to circumvent the system, FIBA, the international governing body of the sport, would not have allowed him to play in Italy. And even if he had been permitted to jump, the NBA could have gone to court to stop him from breaking his contract.