AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons have traded the rights to top draft pick Melvin Levett to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 16-year NBA veteran Derek Harper.
Levett, a 6-foot-3 guard who played at Cincinnati, wasn't expected to make the Pistons roster.The Pistons want Harper, who is 37, to back up starting point guard Lindsey Hunter. But Harper is likely to retire instead of reporting to the Pistons, his agent said.
"He's going to retire," George Andrews told The Detroit News. "It's not anything against the Pistons organization, but he was looking to go close to home (Dallas) or to a definite championship team."
Harper, who had a year left on his contract with the Lakers, would earn $1 million -- the minimum for players with 10 or more years of experience -- if he changes his mind and reports, The News reported. The Pistons did not release salary and other contract terms related to Tuesday's trade.
"Derek gives us the backup point guard we've been looking for," Pistons general manager Rick Sund said. "He was brought to L.A. last season primarily as a backup, and he ended up starting more than half of their games. Derek has been honored several times in his career for his defense, and he can contribute to this team."
Sund said he was not worried about the possibility Harper would retire.
"If he comes, great, we got the player we were looking for. If he doesn't, all we gave up was a player who most likely would not have made our team anyway," Sund said.
Dallas drafted Harper out of Illinois with the 11th overall pick in 1983. He has played for the Mavericks, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic in addition to the Lakers. He has averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 assists in 1,119 games, a figure that is eighth on the NBA's career list and is tied with Harper with Eddie Johnson for most games played among active players.
Harper is seventh on the NBA's career steals list with 1,957 and is 10th with 3,026 3-point shot attempts.
On Monday, the Pistons re-signed forward Terry Mills, who played from 1992-97 with Detroit. Pistons spokesman J.C. Carter would not disclose terms of Mills' contract, but published reports said it was a one-year deal worth at least $885,000, the minimum for players with nine years of NBA experience.