Kendrick Perkins To Join Cavs’ G League Affiliate

Veteran center Kendrick Perkins has decided to accept an assignment to the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Perkins is taking the same path as fellow vet Emeka Okafor, who will play for the Sixers’ G League affiliate this fall.

Perkins, who will turn 33 next month, was in camp with the Cavaliers and spent the preseason with the team, but was unable to crack the regular season roster. With 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and another with a partial guarantee, Cleveland had to send veteran forward Richard Jefferson and second-year guard Kay Felder to Atlanta in a salary dump just to get down to 15 players after waiving Perkins and others.

Because he has never played in the G League before, Perkins’ rights aren’t held by one of the league’s 26 clubs. That opens the door for him to become one of Cleveland’s affiliate players for 2017/18. NBA teams can designate up to four players they’ve waived in the preseason as affiliate players, assuming those players sign G League contracts.

Of course, while Perkins may start the season in the G League, his goal will be getting another shot with an NBA team. “I will make a roster,” he tells Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link).

The 13-year veteran has appeared in 781 career regular season games, plus another 143 postseason contests, but didn’t suit up for an NBA club last season. Although Perkins will play for the Cavs’ affiliate in the G League, Cleveland won’t hold his NBA rights, so he’ll be free to sign with any team if he gets an offer.

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