Rumor: Thunder trying to land a top-five draft pick, offering two lower picks and Kendrick Perkins

The Thunder have two first round picks in Thursday’s draft, but the team is shooting much higher than that if you believe the latest reports.

From Andy Katz of ESPN.com (via Daily Thunder):

Elsewhere, a source said Oklahoma City was interested in packaging its two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 29) and Kendrick Perkins for a top-five pick. But the Thunder have had no takers either.

The offer isn’t a surprise, as the Thunder are trying to bolster their roster to compete for a championship. But neither is the fact that no one’s biting.

Cleveland has the top pick in the draft, and they are seeking the world in return for giving it up. The asking price may drop in the hours or minutes leading up to the draft, but for now, they’re offering it up in a package to get players who are essentially untouchable -- like Minnesota’s Kevin Love, for example.

The other teams near the top of the draft -- Orlando, Washington, Charlotte, and Phoenix -- aren’t looking to trade out of their spots necessarily, as they’re all teams that need a young building block for the future.

The contract of Perkins is the bigger issue here, even beyond trading one high pick for two lower ones. He’s on the books for over $8 million next season and $9 million the year after, and for teams in the rebuilding stages of NBA life, it wouldn’t make any sense at all to take on a player with Perkins’ limited skill set at that price.