When asked about a possible return to the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins said “I wouldn’t even get on a plane from Houston. I’d ride a bike.”
The Memphis Grizzlies drafted the 34-year-old out of High School back in 2003 before the Celtics acquired him via trade and after four seasons, he became a staple at the five position for the 2008 Celtics NBA Finals team.
Perkins played eight years in Boston before being traded along with Nate Robinson, for Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green in 2011. But he remained bleeding Celtic green throughout, as exhibited by his desire to make a return to the team that gave him his first shot.
However, on 98.5 the Sports Hub’s show Toucher and Rich, Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge commented on the discussions he’s had with Perkins and said how he doesn’t see him as a good fit right now, due to the Celtics current logjam at the center position, with the likes of Al Horford, Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis, and Robert Williams III. The latter of which Ainge is very high on, but “simple math” has had him removed from the rotation on most nights.
The only feasible possibility that a Perkins-to-Boston reunion could happen is if somebody on the Celtics gets injured around January, and he’s brought in on a 10-day contract to prove he’s worth a spot on the roster moving forward.
Despite being just 34 years old, he’s still played in the NBA since 2003. There are a lot of miles on this man’s legs—legs that, mind you, have had their fair share of problems over the years. While he could be a good mentor for a player like Robert Williams, who remains trying to get his feet wet at the NBA level, it doesn’t seem likely that this will come to fruition.
As Ainge said, it’s simple math. It just doesn’t add up.
