Kendrick Perkins signs contract extension with Oklahoma City Thunder

by **112288** Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:50 pm

Kendrick Perkins signs contract extension with Oklahoma City Thunder

Jay King | March 1, 2011 at 10:59 am | 2 Comments

11:08 a.m.- update: Perk’s deal will pay him $34.8 million over four years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

In a move that will kick Celtics fans where the sun don’t shine, Kendrick Perkins agreed to a contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder today.

The specifics of the deal are not yet known, but the Thunder — if they renegotiated Perk’s deal to max out their cap space, which seems likely — were able to offer Perk a four-year, $34 million (approximately, based on Sham Sports’ calculations) extension. Perkins had turned down a four-year, $22 million extension earlier this season from Boston, which was the most the Celtics could offer under the current CBA.

Though players like Brendan Haywood earn $55 million contracts, Perkins maintained he would have agreed to a $30 million deal with Boston. He even told me earlier this year, “I think about this every day. I tell my wife that I just can’t picture myself anywhere but Boston.”

For Perkins, you get the feeling it was never about seeking Haywood money. It was about loyalty. About playing in a situation where he could contend, where a good organization just wanted to win. Maybe he would have hit free agency and been blown away by some other team’s offer. But Perkins, if nothing else, always seemed like a man of his word.

By the way, Perkins will likely become a free agent again in 2015. Cue the, “A 2015 frontcourt of Kendrick Perkins and Dwight Howard wouldn’t be too crummy” fantasies.

Also, I say it wasn’t about the money, but Perkins will likely make almost $9 million per season. That ain’t chump change.

BOTTOM LINE DANNY DID NOT WANT PERK ANY MORE! 112288