Derek Ricardo Harper (born October 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player.

A second-team All-American at the University of Illinois, he was the 11th overall pick of the 1983 NBA draft and spent 16 seasons as a point guard in the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers.

After graduating from Roosevelt Junior High School and then North Shore High School in West Palm Beach, Harper played three seasons for the Fighting Illini and coach Lou Henson having his best season in 1982–1983, when he led the Fighting Illini in scoring with 15.4 points per game.

For almost the entire time in his first stint with the team, he was part of the starting backcourt tandem with All-Star shooting guard Rolando Blackman.

The Knicks were looking for a defensive point guard to replace the injured Doc Rivers, who was sidelined for the rest of the season.

His stats declined as he had to adjust to having less of an individual role, but his best season with the Knicks came in his last year with the team where he averaged 14.0 PPG.

Harper was traded by the Mavericks with Ed O'Bannon to the Orlando Magic for Dennis Scott and cash.

The Lakers were a great team and had a young Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant leading the way.

In the 1999 offseason, the Lakers traded Harper to the Detroit Pistons, but he didn't report to the team.

Beginning in fall 2005, he was the weekend sports anchor at KTXA serving the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex until the station ended its newscasts.