Kendrick Perkins Rumors: Center to Retire Despite Interest from Teams
Big man Kendrick Perkins hasn't played a regular-season NBA game since the 2015-16 season but reportedly will retire despite drawing interest from multiple teams.
NBA G League writer Adam Johnson of the 2 Ways & 10 Days website is reporting Perkins will retire after leaving the Canton Charge.
Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated reported the news of interest on Perkins Tuesday, noting "several" teams are exploring offering him a "post-trade deadline contract to play the remainder of the season." The NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET Thursday.
Fischer said Perkins may look into playing in China or Japan next year depending on what happens the rest of this season.
Perkins, 33, entered the league in 2003 as a first-round pick and has played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans. The veteran last appeared for the Pelicans, averaging 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a night in 37 games in 2015-16.
While his numbers in the latter portion of his career don't stand out, he did average 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in eight seasons with the Celtics as a rim protector who helped Kevin Garnett control the boards during his prime.
Perkins would not be a season-altering addition for any team at this stage of his career, but he would provide a veteran presence with plenty of postseason experience.
He has 143 career playoff games on his resume and won the 2007-08 championship with the Celtics. He also averaged 11.9 points and 11.6 rebounds in 14 playoff games for Boston in 2008-09.
In 27 G League games this season, Perkins is averaging 8.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 21.2 minutes.
If nothing else, Perkins could join a contender and give the regular frontcourt rotation pieces a few minutes of additional rest per game in an effort to keep them fresher before the physical grind of the playoffs begins.
