How the Dwight Howard trade affects Kendrick Perkins

 Perkins will have two years left on his deal next year when Ibaka’s and Harden’s new deals kick in an the luxury taxes start to kick in. The Lakers will also be hugely into luxury tax but they generate income to a different level to the Thunder but teams also need to speculate to accumulate. You may be hit with more luxury tax but if you have deep play off runs to the Conference finals and beyond like the Thunder have the ability to do then that will also bring them more revenue.

The Thunder have been signing a few big man prospects who haven’t achieved their potential yet so they are probably trying to unearth someone who might replace Perkins long term at a cut price. They have no real amnesty candidates outside Perkins unless they decided to let Collinson go but he is the team’s senior player and a very good locker room presence and the saving would be minimal.

Sam Presti has always been innovate with things such as Collinson’s last deal, so we might see him pulling a few canny moves. The Thunder have never really added a proven quality veteran like other contenders do but they could surely attract them if they wanted and Presti could always move a first rounder or two on upcoming draft days for the likely $3 million max, add a couple of veteran minimum guys which the league subsidises so the Thunder could make say nearly $4 million from that move alone one year.

Also maybe they run with Perkins in 2013-14 and see how things go and what the cap level, luxury tax hit might be and then make a decison about 2014-15.

 Yeah a couple years ago Perkins really affected Dwight in the post. You’re obviously don’t going to shut Dwight down, but Perkins did a very good job of containing him. But I agree with you that if will definitely be a game of chess now because the Thunder really only need Perkins against the Lakers. Perkins did a great job against the Grizzlies and Gasol as well who seems to be a sleeper team now with their size.

Perkins can guard Dwight Howard well. Another thing is that Ibaka is a guy with the size, length, and athleticism to play Dwight Howard straight up. So the Thunder can go with the big, burly Perkins to rough up Howard or the freakish Ibaka to run with him. Then they have Hasheem Thabeet off the bench to protect the paint and block shots.

I think though that the Thunder could have used Dwight Howard. They could have traded Harden, Perkins, Cole Aldrich, and Perry Jones for
Dwight Howard and Jason Richardson. Dwight and Ibaka would be awesome inside and J Rich could be their scorer off the bench.

They could go smaller with an awesome lineup of Maynor, Westbrook, Durant, Ibaka, and Howard and they would still have Thabo, Collison, J Rich, Cook, and Thabeet as supporting role players. They would miss Harden, but they would get rid of K Perk’s contract, and get the best young Big Three in the league. J Rich would make up some of Harden’s scoring off the bench.

As it stands, a Dwight-Pau combo looks like the ideal up front duo. I think the Lakers are now better than the Thunder and even the Heat.

Not only do they need to keep Perk, but between Serge and Harden, I think they must keep Serge. Serge was exposed trying to defend athletic bigs outside the post, but he is athletic enough to get better. And like the Lakers imporvements, they need both Perk and Serge defensive presence inside. Assuming they will not want to pay too much tax $$$, I think they should move Harden for a cheaper alternative. Someone who I think fits perfect on that team, and next to Westbrook, is Affalo who was dealt to Orlando. Affalo doesnt really fit Orlando’s plan of going young and rebuilding and they will most likely love to get their hands on Harden.

Harden/Aldrich for Affalo/Vucevic, future pick and cash.

Harden is worth more, but any player worth Harden will more than likely be making the type of money that doesnt solve the tax situation OKC is about to find themselves in. When Perk contract is up, theyll have Vucevic who may reach his potential to become a starting center.

^^^

Ironically, the Thunder could have used any of the main guys in that trade. Dwight, Bynum, Iggy, or Aflalo. Or even Jason Richardson as a wing scorer off the bench to replace Harden. Come to think of it, Al Harrington would work ok too as a replacement for Harden and Perry Jones.

 completely..perkins now is a must keep for okc…And OKC fans need to realize that they wont keep both Harden and Ibaka

Stop spreading bad information. 

Perkins has not been anything special. Dwight Howard had two bad games in the 2010 playoffs against Boston, and it was not primarily Kendrick Perkins who gave him problems. In those games, it was Sheed who was able to lean on him without fouling every other trip down the floor, not Perkins. In the series clinching Game 6 where Perkins was on the court for almost the entire time that Howard hung 28 on 11-17 shooting. For the series he averaged 22 on 57 percent shooting and 11 rebounds. In 2009, he averaged 16-17 per and had one bad game in the bunch. He didn’t pack on numbers in a Game 7 blowout, but stats don’t matter in blow outs. Just because some idiots on espn throw out nonsense, it doesn’t make it true.

Serge Ibaka blocks a few shots, but does not stop teams from scoring in the paint. He never  has, and feel free to re-watch the Finals if you need a reminder. I’m sure Otis Smith’s distant cousin Daryl Morey will probably max him out, if he isn’t fired of course. OKC shouldn’t pay him because they can easily replace him without missing a beat. They are a bad defensive team with him, and he doesn’t have to be guarded on offense. It is a no brainer that Floppy Harden is the guy to keep. Giving Kendick Perkins money was dumb at the time of the signing because he was fat and bad at that time and now is just slow and overrated. He has regressed horribly on both ends since 2008, and nobody mentions this because apparently he is "winner tough guy" due to the fact that he has had the luck to follow talent around for the past six years. They already made one mistake, it will do them no good to double down to keep the team weakness up front together.

They need to find a way to lock up Harden before the extension deadline in Oct because if he hits the open market next summer he’s guaranteed the max and that’d put them in a really tough spot! Westbrook took less to stick around with what they had going(5yrs/75 mil) . If they can get Harden to do the same and take 5yrs/65 or 70 mil then they won’t go that high into the tax. They’d obviously have to let Ibaka walk, but what he brings is replacable…they could use the MLE on a Taj Gibson or JJ Hickson who brings the same things to the table but won’t command nearly as much $ or even someone like Tyrus Thomas who will probably get amnestied and come free at a real bargain rate. Ibaka is a great shot blocker, but he still gets scored on in the paint and isn’t that great a rebounder to be giving $10 mil + a year. They’d get to keep Perkins who is the best in the league at defending Dwight straight up and I think they’d still be just as good a title contender

Serge Ibaka certainly has potential to be a dominating big man, but until he shows it more consistently in rebounding and scoring the obvious choice is to keep Harden if only one can be retained.

Even with the Lakers adding Dwight Howard to go along with Pau Gasol, I’d be more inclined to move Perkins. Perkins is a big slow lumbering big guy who does some gritty nasty things for a team, but short of that he isn’t all that useful. Serge Ibaka certainly isn’t a great big man at this point, but he has flashes of it. The big number is their age difference Serge Ibaka is nearly five years younger than Kendrick Perkins and has already shown more ability scoring and blocking shots than Perkins has in his whole career. Ibaka also out rebounded Perkins this season by nearly a rebound per game. While two seasons ago Perkins had a .4 rebound advtange per game over Ibaka. Perkins also doesn’t need to be guarded to much on the offensive end short of boxing him out while Ibaka is a threat to score from all over.

I don’t know if OKC is willing to spend the extra money amnestying Perkins and then re-signing but Harden and Ibaka, but in the long run it’s probably worth it.

I remember when Chris Webber Called Perkins out,saying he was an Overrated Defender…Perkins replied on Twitter saying Webber should Shut up until he gets a ring,then he’ll listen to him…

But I have to agree with C Webb..Perkins have never averaged double figures in rebounds,always commits silly fouls and doesnt move his feet well on defense..Instead he used his body to push people around inside……Garnett covered his a$$ alot when he was with Boston..Plus Boston as a hold was 1 of the nba’s best defensive teams….Doc put him in the right spots to be successful….

Losing that weight took away some of his affectiveness…

This may not be a sexy idea, but the its no secret that the Suns will offer max to Harden after next season. Why not trade for Channing Frye and say Shannon Brown and 1st round picks? Shannon is useful, not Harden, but energy off the bench. Channing Frye will add size and is a nice shooter off the bench.

 Aldrich might be able to guard Howard better than Perkins if given the chance

Javale McGee.