Lakers Trade Harper--to Get Harper? : Pro basketball: Derek Harper’s departure clears cap room for Ron Harper.

One Harper gone, another apparently close to arriving.

In a move Tuesday that cleared salary and roster space for the acquisition of free-agent guard Ron Harper, the Lakers traded point guard Derek Harper to the Detroit Pistons.

The Lakers received guard Melvin Levett, the Pistons’ second-round draft pick from Cincinnati.

But the key part for the Lakers was to discard Derek Harper’s guaranteed, $1.1-million salary.

Now, the Lakers can offer Ron Harper, who started for new Laker Coach Phil Jackson on three NBA championship teams when both were with the Bulls, their $1.1-million salary exception without increasing salary commitments.

The Bulls recently renounced their rights to Ron Harper.

Derek Harper, 38, signed a two-year free-agent contract with the Lakers before last season, seeking to end his career by winning a championship after 15 seasons without one.

Harper started 29 games, averaging 6.9 points and a team-high 4.2 assists.

He was considered a steadying influence during much of the season, but seemed to lose steam--and a bit of his leadership role--after the Lakers traded his friend Eddie Jones, along with Elden Campbell, to the Charlotte Hornets for Glen Rice.

After playing heavy minutes in the first third of the season, Harper’s quality of play also dropped swiftly, and by the playoffs, Derek Fisher had firmly established himself as the Lakers’ main point guard.

With Fisher having recently signed a long-term contract, and with Jackson wanting to add a bigger guard more familiar with the triangle offense, Ron Harper became a more viable player for the Lakers.

Derek Harper’s agent, George Andrews, indicated that the 16-year NBA veteran might retire instead of reporting to the Pistons.

Andrews said Harper recently requested that the Lakers waive him--and therefore take responsibility for the remaining $1.1 million--instead of trading him to a team he did not wish to join.

Rick Sund, Detroit’s vice president for basketball operations, and the man who drafted Derek Harper 17 years ago for the Dallas Mavericks, said the Pistons made the trade knowing that Harper was not pleased by it.

“Derek said he had mixed emotions about the trade,” Sund said. “But he never said he was going to retire.

“There are no guarantees, but the thing is, we’ve got a no-lose situation, anyway. If he comes, great, we’ve got the player we wanted. If he doesn’t come, all we gave up is a player who probably would not have made our team.”

Ron Harper, 34, played in tandem with Michael Jordan in Chicago, and could potentially get time alongside Kobe Bryant and Fisher.

Levett averaged 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a senior with Cincinnati.