Cavaliers sign Kendrick Perkins: 'It was Doc or The King ... I went with The King'
The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially gotten an injection of championship DNA.
The team announced Tuesday that it's signed veteran Kendrick Perkins, a move that had been expected for several days after Perkins cleared waivers.
Perkins was bought out by the Utah Jazz last week after they acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade deadline deal. Several contenders were believed to be interested in the high-character center, even if his numbers are modest and his utility somewhat limited in the 12th season of his career.
"It was extremely hard," Perkins said of choosing between the Cavs and the Los Angeles Clippers, where he would have been reunited with former coach Doc Rivers. "(Rivers) was real honest with me, he told me, 'I think your best two situations right now is either us or Cleveland.' So I was like, Doc? Or I have a chance to go play with The King. Doc? The King? Uh, I choose The King."
Wearing No. 3 for the Cavaliers, Perkins will slot in as the fourth man in what had been a thin frontcourt rotation to date. It's unlikely he'll still get the 19.2 minutes of playing time he was receiving with the Thunder, but he'll absorb minutes that were previously being taken by Brendan Haywood or out-of-position forwards.
The option to match bulk with opponents is also now a more reasonable one for head coach David Blatt.
Perkins was averaging four points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 44.1 percent before the trade, numbers that are largely unimpressive, but don't fully capture his contributions. The 6-foot-10, 270-pounder can bang with bigger centers in the paint, set bone-crushing screens to help facilitate the offense and acts as a defensive quarterback on the floor.
He's nothing close to the impact player he was back when he won a championship with the Boston Celtics, but his matchup-specific value and locker room presence - he's said to be one of the most well-liked teammates in the league - make him a no-brainer signing for the Cavs.