Kendrick Perkins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Trade Predictions, Perkins, Extensions

October 15th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

In his latest predictions feature, Zach Lowe of ESPN speculates that a number of players will be put on the block this season if not officially traded. Since we already know that there’s at least some truth to the oddly specific guess that the Timberwolves would trade Cole Aldrich for Jared Dudley, perhaps we should take a closer look at some of the rest.

Among the other trade predictions that Lowe makes is one that has the Raptors seeking to shop big man Jonas Valanciunas. Considering that the traditional Lithuanian center has been the subject of speculation over the course of the past few seasons, this one seems like rather low hanging fruit.

Similarly, Lowe makes the thoroughly uncrazy prediction that Eric Bledsoe will be on the move. What bonus points Lowe doesn’t earn for predicting a Bledsoe trade, however, he does earn for earmarking the Nuggets and Clippers as possible interested suitors. Alas Denver, it’s worth noting, is already rather backloaded at the guard positions.

Other players that come up in Lowe’s column include the likes Dennis Schroder, DeAndre Jordan and Tobias Harris.

There’s more from around the league:

The NBA will name Michelle Johnson their new Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Johnson is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General.
The NBA coaching community could soon have another recent league veteran join its ranks. As Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes, Kendrick Perkins – who played 11 seasons in the NBA – believes he would have plenty of options to accept a role on the sidelines.
Only a few players from the 2014 NBA Draft class have landed sizable pay days and that’s for good reason, Mitch Lawrence of Forbes writes. Beyond players like Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, few have earned substantial rookie contract extensions. Only Marcus Smart, he writes, has been a notable contributor to an elite playoff team.

Cavaliers Cut Kendrick Perkins, Isaac Hamilton

October 14th, 2017 at 11:42am CST by marksuleymanov

The Cavaliers have waived veteran center Kendrick Perkins, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Perkins, 32, showed up to training camp in great shape, appearing in three preseason games with Cleveland. He racked up 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 25 total minutes played.

Perkins — who missed the 2016/17 season — tells Wojnarowski that he wants to continue playing but will consider coaching if he decides to retire (via Twitter). Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, that the organization has discussed bringing Perkins to the coaching staff if he cannot find an on-court role.

“We’ve already talked about that,” Lue said. “I think Perk was great because he holds everybody accountable. He plays the right way, tries to do the right thing every single day.”

Perkins started his career in 2004 with the Celtics and proceeded to spend parts of the following eight seasons in Boston. The 6’10”, 270-pound Perkins was a key player on the Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship team. After he was traded from Boston, Perkins spent parts of five seasons with the Thunder and, in recent years, made cameos with the Cavaliers and Pelicans. For his career, Perkins boasts averages of 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 781 career games.

“I definitely want to coach when I hang them up,” Perkins said this week, per Cleveland.com. “Right now my mind is on trying to play. Not only can I be a voice in the locker room, but I feel I can go out and contribute 8-to-12 minutes a night.”

The Cavaliers also waived Isaac Hamilton, ensuring that the roster is ready to go for the regular season. Hamilton is a good bet to join the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

Cavs Notes: Jefferson, Felder, Calderon, Perkins

October 6th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

With 16 players on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, the Cavaliers will have to trade or waive one of those players within the next 10 days. A report earlier this week indicated that Richard Jefferson‘s hold on a roster spot may be the most tenuous, and Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com confirms that the team has held “early talks” with Jefferson’s agent about the possibility that the veteran forward will be the victim of the roster crunch. Still, no decision has been finalized yet, says Vardon.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Second-year point guard Kay Felder, whose salary is only partially guaranteed, almost certainly won’t make Cleveland’s 15-man roster. However, he’s hoping to become one of the club’s two-way players, Vardon writes.
Within his latest mailbag for Cleveland.com, Vardon explains why Jose Calderon‘s roster spot appears safer than Jefferson’s. Vardon also discusses Koby Altman‘s performance as GM so far, Cleveland’s early impressions of Derrick Rose, and more Cavs-related topics.
Veteran big man Kendrick Perkins, who is in camp with the Cavaliers in the hopes of resuming his NBA career, admits that he let himself go and developed bad habits during his previous stint in the league. According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Perkins weighed 309 pounds when he left the Pelicans in 2016, but is back down to 267 now. “I couldn’t blame anybody but myself,” Perkins said. “It was a humbling situation being out and not getting a call last season. It was my fault for letting myself just drift off like that.”

Latest On Dwyane Wade Joining Cavs

September 26th, 2017 at 9:38pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Cavaliers reached an agreement earlier today with three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade on a one-year, $2.3MM deal. Once Wade clears waivers and the signing becomes official, the veteran guard will be reunited with longtime friend, LeBron James, and have the chance to compete for his fourth NBA title.

Before the move is completed, the Cavaliers will have to make a roster move as the team is presently at the 20-man training camp limit. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland is expected to initially cut a non-guaranteed training camp invitee to make roster space for Wade.

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports (via Twitter) that Kendrick Perkins, who the Cavaliers officially signed on Monday, will likely be cut. Perkins, 32, did not play last season and his last NBA action was a 37-game stint with the Pelicans in 2015/16. Perkins previously suited up for Cleveland during the team’s run to the NBA Finals.

Cleveland will need to trade or waive at least one player on a guaranteed contract to accommodate Wade once rosters shrink to 15 players for the start of the regular season.

Cavaliers Sign Kendrick Perkins To Camp Roster

September 25th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 25: The Cavaliers have formally signed Perkins, according to the official camp roster released today by the club.

SEPTEMBER 21: Veteran center Kendrick Perkins was in attendance at LeBron James‘ Cavaliers mini-camp in Santa Barbara this week, and received an invitation to come to training camp with the club, a source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. According to Vardon, Perkins will join the Cavs in camp, though he’s unlikely to make the regular season roster.

Perkins, who will turn 33 in November, last played in the NBA during the 2015/16 season for the Pelicans, averaging 2.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 37 regular season contests (14.6 MPG). Although he was unable to find an NBA home in 2016/17, Perkins isn’t ready to call it a career yet, and is looking to make a comeback.

A longtime starter for the Celtics and Thunder, Perkins posted very modest numbers during his last couple years in the league, and his skill-set doesn’t make him a great fit in the modern NBA. Still, it’s possible his locker room presence and leadership would make him worth a spot on some team’s 15-man roster.

That team likely won’t be the Cavaliers, however. After their Kyrie Irving trade with the Celtics, Cleveland has 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries on its roster, and that number doesn’t include youngsters Kay Felder or Edy Tavares.

Kendrick Perkins Looks To Make NBA Comeback

July 15th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kendrick Perkins, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2015/16 season, is looking to get back in the league, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.

“The body feels good, man, I’m just sitting here waiting on an opportunity,” Perkins said. “Hopefully I can get a training camp invite soon. I want to earn my way. I don’t want nobody to give me nothing. So I’ve been working hard, going two or three times a day, working and grinding. I’m just trying to stay with it.”

Washburn adds that Perkins wanted to play last season, but couldn’t find a deal. The time off allowed the center to rest and heal, though he feels it hurt his chances at getting another shot in the league.

“You’re sitting back, waiting on a job, you want in and not just sitting around the house. I wasn’t ready for that in that point in my life,” Perkins said. “I think it was a very humbling situation for me. I thought it made me realize the importance and not to take it for granted.”

The 32-year-old has been working on his conditioning over the past few months and he hopes to receive a training camp invite this fall. The big man would like to contribute to a team as a backup center.

“I’ve been keeping my weight down, making sure I’m getting all the cardio I need, staying in great shape,” he said. “I’m just going to do what I can. I feel good. I’ve been on top of my basketball work and I’m just waiting for my opportunity, it if happens. I’ve just changed my diet, working on my quickness, and just trying to get better. It’s 30 teams out there and I’m just looking for one opportunity. It will come. I’m just trying to leave it in God’s hands.”

Kendrick Perkins

Thunder Notes: Durant, Kanter, Alkins

May 10th, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder are unlikely to add another star via free agency, Jon Hamm of Daily Thunder explains. High-priced extensions for Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams will kick in this summer and the duo will go from making a combined $9,693,477 this year to earning a combined $43,471,911 next season.

The team will have approximately $110MM in guaranteed salary on the book next season, as our Cap Digest page indicates. With the salary cap expected to come in around $101MM, it appears Oklahoma City will have to use the trade market if it intends to add a major piece.

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Kendrick Perkins, who played with both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant for four-plus seasons, said the two All-Stars are “back on talking terms.” He believes there’s a chance that Durant will head back to OKC at some point in the future, as ESPN.com relays. “I wouldn’t be surprised — if KD makes a little run, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes back to Oklahoma,” Perkins said. “Because in my opinion, I don’t think Russ is going anywhere. He’s that type of guy. He just wants to stick it out, and he just wants you to give him those pieces and he just wants to roll with it. He’s not going and trying to run and chase [titles]. And one thing about it, he’s not begging nobody to come play with him.”
Erik Horne of The Oklahoman wonders if the Thunder will trade Enes Kanter this summer. The center didn’t have a strong defensive performance in the postseason and Horne notes that during the team’s playoff series against the Rockets, coach Billy Donovan appeared to say “Can’t play Kanter” to assistant coach Maurice Cheeks. Kanter only played a total of 45 minutes during OKC’s five playoff games.
Arizona’s Rawle Alkins worked out for the Thunder last weekend, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog tweets. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has Alkins as the 78th-best prospect in the upcoming draft.

Thunder Notes: Perkins, 15th Man, Roberson

February 24th, 2017 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

After completing a three-for-two trade with the Bulls on Thursday, the Thunder now have a roster spot open, and they’re expected to be active in the buyout market, reports ESPN’s Royce Young (Twitter link). Although Oklahoma City hasn’t been linked to notable released players or buyout candidates like Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut, the team will certainly be looking for “impact players,” says Young (Twitter link).

As Young observes, if the Thunder don’t land a top target, Kendrick Perkins could be a Plan B for the team. The former OKC big man said last week that he’d love to return to the team, and GM Sam Presti didn’t rule out that scenario on Thursday, though he didn’t make any commitments either, per Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman.

“Perk’s been here,” Presti said. “The door is always open to our former players, and so he’s part of the family. Him being here, I understand that, but I don’t want to speculate on who might be the 15th.”

Here’s more on the Thunder:

After trading Cameron Payne to Chicago, the Thunder feel “pretty comfortable” with Semaj Christon and Victor Oladipo as backup options behind Russell Westbrook, but Presti didn’t rule out the possibility of using the open roster spot to add another point guard, writes Dawson.
The Bulls wanted to acquire Andre Roberson from Oklahoma City in Thursday’s trade, but the Thunder are committed to re-signing him in restricted free agency this summer, tweets Royce Young. Still, Roberson’s future remains somewhat uncertain, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
In a separate piece for The Oklahoman, Horne examines what the acquisitions of Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott mean for the Thunder this season and beyond.

Kendrick Perkins Aims To Continue NBA Career

February 17th, 2017 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Since appearing in 37 games for the Pelicans last season, Kendrick Perkins hasn’t found a new NBA home, but he also hasn’t made any retirement plans just yet. In a conversation with The Oklahoman, Perkins confirmed that his comeback efforts are ongoing.

“I’m still trying to get back in,” Perkins said. “I’ve been working two-a-days over the last couple of months. Just been going hard. Got a couple of calls, just a few teams say they want to start trying me out and working me out before the free agency’s over with. So, just trying to get back in and see what it do. One more push.”

There weren’t many reports linking Perkins to specific teams during 2016’s free agent period after his deal with New Orleans expired. The Warriors were the one team said to have some interest in the veteran big man, but Golden State was ultimately able to add a handful of other frontcourt free agents on modest deals, including Zaza Pachulia, David West, and JaVale McGee.

For his part, Perkins – who spent parts of five seasons in Oklahoma City – sees the Thunder as a potential fit for him now, though he couldn’t confirm that anything is in the works with the team.

“I feel like I fit here,” Perkins said of OKC. “From me walking in the facility earlier (Wednesday), all the love and stuff that I got and then coming here tonight, and then after talking with [GM] Sam [Presti] and [team owner Clay] Bennett, you just know that it’s genuine. It ain’t like I got that many options that I can just pick and choose, but I feel like this would be a good place.”

The 27th overall pick in the 2003 draft, Perkins has appeared in 781 total NBA games for the Celtics, Thunder, Cavs, and Pelicans, averaging 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG over the course of his career.

Southwest Rumors: Mavs, Jones, Pelicans

July 22nd, 2016 at 10:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavs must lop off some salaries in order to sign a max-contract player next summer if Dirk Nowitzki returns in 2017/18, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Nowitki and the club agreed to a two-year, $50MM contract on Friday. Nowitzki’s $25MM salary for the second season of the contract, plus more than $60MM in other guaranteed commitments, would leave Dallas with less than $16MM under the projected cap of $102MM, by MacMahon’s calculations. If Nowitzki retires after next season, the Mavs can exercise a $5MM team option, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

In other news concerning the Southwest Division:

The opportunity to play steady minutes and rejoin forces with his ex-college teammate Anthony Davis were major factors in Terrence Jones’ decision to sign with the Pelicans, Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes. Jones, who signed a one-year contract worth an estimated $980K, appeared in only 50 games last season. “I wanted an opportunity to play for a team that is young and defining itself, but could still compete right away,” Jones told Maroney. “I wanted a larger role, where I could really compete and help a team win.” He’s excited about the prospect of playing alongside Davis, with whom he won the NCAA championship at Kentucky, Maroney adds. “We both work well together and we’ve already got a great chemistry and friendship,” Jones said. “When he’s healthy, I think he’s as good as any other big in the league, so I am excited to see what we can do this year.”
The Pelicans renounced their rights to Norris Cole, Kendrick Perkins and Jordan Hamilton, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com tweets. Those moves allowed them to officially sign both Jones and point guard Tim Frazier.