Detroit sold Ron Johnson's player rights to the Los Angeles Lakers on December 15, 1960 for cash. Basketball-Reference's Pistons, Lakers and league transaction ledgers all use December 15, correcting the legacy December 16 date. Johnson had played six games for Detroit after being selected 12th overall in the 1960 draft, then appeared in only eight regular-season games for Los Angeles. He averaged 0.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.4 minutes per game for the Lakers and never played in the NBA after that season. The public ledgers do not preserve the cash amount. With Los Angeles receiving only eight games from the purchased rights, Detroit's financial recovery produced the slightly stronger realized result.
Detroit sold Ron Johnson's player rights to the Lakers for cash on December 15, 1960. The Pistons, Lakers and league ledgers all use December 15, correcting the December 16 date carried by the older archive record. Johnson had been the 12th overall selection in the 1960 draft but played only six games for Detroit.
Los Angeles used Johnson in eight regular-season games. He averaged 5.4 minutes, 0.8 points and 1.9 rebounds, then never appeared in another NBA season. The purchase therefore produced neither immediate rotation help nor a developmental payoff.
The public ledgers identify a cash sale but do not reveal the amount. Detroit cannot receive credit for a known basketball asset or a measurable windfall. It can receive limited credit for recovering financial consideration after determining quickly that its second-round pick was not part of the club's plans.
The Lakers took a reasonable low-cost chance on a recent draft choice, but the outcome was eight low-minute appearances. Detroit's return is unpriced, so this is not a decisive win. In realized terms, however, converting the rights into cash was slightly better than the value Los Angeles obtained.
Pistons Edge — Detroit B-, Los Angeles C+. The Lakers received only eight games from Ron Johnson while Detroit recovered undisclosed cash.