Kendrick Perkins doesn’t bring much on the court anymore. He can soak up a few minutes every night in the paint, but his defensive game has slipped over the years, and he never brought much offense.
Still, the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted him. They are playing Tristan Thompson at the center spot when Timofey Mozgov sits, and they wanted another traditional center.
On Saturday, the Utah Jazz and Perkins reached terms a buyout. It didn’t take long for Perkins to make a decision on his next landing spot. Despite a late push from Perkins’ old coach Doc Rivers trying to reunite them with the Clippers, Perkins will be a Cavalier, something first reported by Royce Young at ESPN. Then it was confirmed by the man himself.
It's a Blessing for me to have another opportunity to join a Great Organization @cavs! Can't wait to play with Greatness @KingJames!#TheLand
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 21, 2015
The signing cannot officially happen until Monday.
Cavs fans should be warned this signing will not have the same positive impact of other moves the team has made, like bringing in Mozgov or J.R. Smith. Simply put, Perkins doesn’t have a lot of game left.
But he was loved in the Thunder locker room — remember it was talking about Perk that made Kevin Durant start to cry during his MVP speech — and the Cavaliers could use some of that veteran voice. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have still never played in a playoff game, so another veteran voice with a ring in the locker room can only help.
