5 Teams Oklahoma City Thunder Should Be Calling About a Kendrick Perkins Trade
Somewhere in the NBA, there is a team that is interested in trading for Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins has been the Thunder's main man in the middle since coming over in a trade from the Boston Celtics in February 2011. During that span, the 6'10", 270-pound Perkins has made 289 starts (including 67 playoff games). According to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman, that trend should continue this season, despite Perkins' strained quad:
"The rest of Presti’s preseason press conference, which was littered with defense-first, stick-to-the-plan statements, would indicate that Perkins remains the favorite to keep his starting role."
Per Slater's report, Perkins will miss the start of training camp due to this latest injury. The setback opens up an opportunity for second-year man Steven Adams (7', 255 pounds) to wrestle the starting center job away. However, by finding a suitor for the veteran, life would be even easier for Adams.
Perkins will be a free agent after this season and, with Adams and rookie Mitch McGary on the roster, he doesn't seem to be in Oklahoma City's future plans. A trade would give Perkins a fresh start and allow the Thunder to get something for a player they aren't planning on keeping. Naturally, there are pros and cons that potential suitors must weigh before agreeing to a deal.
The upside to trading for Perkins is he's still a fine one-on-one defender in the post. He's also a veteran leader with a bevy of playoff experience. His contract is a bit pricey ($9.1 million), but it's only for one season.
On the flip side, Perkins is coming off one of the worst seasons of his 11-year career. He gives you next to nothing on the offensive end, and his work on the boards is on the decline. This is evidenced by the 3.4 points and 4.9 rebounds he averaged in 62 games last season.
The Thunder likely wouldn't ask for much to get rid of Perkins, given his expiring contract and obvious flaws. That makes him a nice buy-low option for teams needing a defensive presence inside.
Miami Heat
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The Miami Heat have needed help inside for quite some time. They have an All-Star big man in Chris Bosh, but he mostly plays outside of the paint. They added Josh McRoberts, but he is coming off offseason toe surgery, per a tweet from Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Other than 36-year-old Chris Andersen, the Heat do not have anyone that can make life miserable for opponents down low. That's where Kendrick Perkins would come in. The team had interest in Perkins earlier this summer, according to a June report from ESPN's Chris Broussard (subscription required).
"I am also told that Pat Riley intends to make a run at Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins, who has one year left on his contract;"
Last season, Miami used guys such as Greg Oden, Joel Anthony and Justin Hamilton to fill their need inside. Even with his flaws, Perkins is an upgrade over that group. He could split time with "The Birdman" at center, which would allow Bosh to play his more natural position at power forward.
Miami should still be one of the better teams in the East this year, even with LeBron James gone. By bringing in Perkins, the team would be adding much-needed depth and addressing an area of need. It would also make the Heat a tougher out in the playoffs.
The player that makes the most sense for the Thunder to get in return is point guard Norris Cole. The Heat already have Mario Chalmers and rookie Shabazz Napier at the position. However, according to a tweet from Chris B. Haynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Miami has no interest in dealing their backup floor general.
The other alternative is draft picks. A couple of second-rounders should be a fair price to pay for a Perkins rental.
Toronto Raptors
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In their 2014-15 season preview of the Toronto Raptors, HoopsHype.com claimed that "backup center is a problem" for the defending Atlantic Division champions. The website is 100 percent correct. Other than rising star Jonas Valanciunas, the Raptors don't have another true center.
The team signed Greg Stiemsma, but he seems like a long shot to win a roster spot. Even if Stiemsma makes the cut, he's coming off a season where he was waived by a New Orleans Pelicans team that was desperate for center help.
Toronto's other options are 6'6" journeyman Chuck Hayes and raw Brazilian prospect Lucas Nogueira. That's tough for the Raptors, who are looking to build on last year's surprising 48-win campaign.
Kendrick Perkins would give the team a legit backup center as well as a mentor for Valanciunas. He doesn't fill the team's need for a go-to guy in the paint, but he would make them stronger down low. At the very least, he's a nice stopgap option until Nogueira or rookie Bruno Caboclo are ready to contribute.
As compensation, Toronto could offer up small forward Landry Fields. Like Perkins, Fields is in the final year of his deal and comes with a hefty price tag ($8.5 million). He would also give the Thunder some depth behind Kevin Durant.
Golden State Warriors
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Even with the presence of former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut, center has been an iffy position for the Golden State Warriors. Bogut hasn't played 70 games in a single season since 2007-08 with the Milwaukee Bucks. Last season, the Australian seven-footer played 67 games, which was his highest output in four years.
Bogut still managed to suffer a broken rib in the playoffs. He'll likely be ready for training camp, but the team still needs a safety net. The current backup is Festus Ezeli, who missed all of last season due to knee surgery.
Kendrick Perkins would give the team a reserve that's a bit more sturdy. His arrival would allow the Warriors to ease Ezeli back in and protects the team in the event of another Bogut injury. Perkins' playoff experience would come in handy on a young team as well.
Last season, the team tried to get by with aging veteran Jermaine O'Neal as Bogut's backup. O'Neal had his moments, but definitely showed the wear and tear of a man that's spent 18 years in the league. If the team was willing to roll the dice on O'Neal, why not make a move for Perkins?
Golden State doesn't have much they could offer in return, but future draft picks seem like the most likely option. A couple other intriguing alternatives are forward Marresse Speights, guard Leandro Barbosa and promising rookie Justin Holiday.
Houston Rockets
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Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has managed to make a name for himself by being smarter than his colleagues. He got the better of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 with the James Harden trade. He also has a knack for finding talent nearly anywhere in the draft.
This summer, Morey appears to have outsmarted himself. In an effort to clear cap space for a third superstar to pair with Harden and Dwight Howard, Morey traded away center Omer Asik and point guard Jeremy Lin. He also let small forward Chandler Parsons sign with the Dallas Mavericks, opting to bring in Trevor Ariza instead.
The Rockets ended up missing out on all of the marquee free agents and lost a considerable amount of depth. With Asik gone, Houston's biggest area of need is at backup center. They will try to get by with the likes of Joey Dorsey and rookie Clint Capela.
Dorsey hasn't played in the NBA since 2010-11 with the Toronto Raptors. He's spent the last few years playing overseas, where he developed a reputation for being a solid defender. However, at 6'9", Dorsey might not be able to hold his own in the pros like he did in Europe.
As for Capela, he's only 20 years old and still very raw. That's not going to cut it for a Rockets team with championship aspirations.
Like Asik, Kendrick Perkins is a good interior defender with a limited offensive game. Perkins will also make a salary this season ($9.1 million) similar to what the Rockets paid Asik last year ($8.3 million). If the Rockets weren't afraid to pay a hefty price for a backup last year, they shouldn't be scared to pay a little more when they need it most.
As evidenced by the constant roster shuffling over the years, Morey likes to wheel and deal. He has the young players and draft picks to make a Perkins trade work. While it may be risky to help out a fellow Western Conference contender, it will be worth it to the Thunder in the long run to get some value for Perkins while they still can.
New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks had problems up front even before they traded Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks over the summer.
Power forward Amar'e Stoudemire has struggled with knee problems for the better part of the last five years. He played in 65 games last year (his most since 2010-11), but it's tough to have faith in him staying healthy all season.
Andrea Bargnani missed 40 games with an elbow injury. When healthy, he's more of a shooter than a banger down low. Regardless, neither him nor Stoudemire are particularly great defenders.
The team signed Jason Smith from the New Orleans Pelicans, but he's missed a good chunk of time in each of the last three seasons due to injuries. The 28-year-old is also coming off knee surgery.
Lastly, there's Samuel Dalembert, who was acquired in the Chandler trade. The former Seton Hall product is a good rim protector, averaging 1.8 blocks a game in his 12 years in the league. He's also been pretty durable throughout his time during his career.
Beyond Dalembert, it's hard to get enthused about this Knicks frontcourt. While adding Perkins would create a logjam, it would also make the team less reliant on its injury-prone big men. Plus, New York could use another defender in the post.
The Knicks would be a good landing spot for Perkins for another reason. New head coach Derek Fisher played with Perkins during the last two seasons together in Oklahoma City. He's experienced first-hand what Perkins can and cannot do. With Fisher trying to establish control in that locker room, it would help to have a familiar face around.
Ideally, Oklahoma City would like Iman Shumpert in return. The Thunder were interested in Shumpert at last season's trade deadline, per the New York Post's Ian Begley, but a deal never happened. Begley also wrote on Sept. 28 that there has been no talk of an extension for Shumpert, who will be a restricted free agent next summer.
With Shumpert not in the Knicks' future plans, a trade makes the most sense for everyone involved.
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