Cavaliers Waive Kendrick Perkins

The Cavaliers have waived veteran center Kendrick Perkins, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Perkins will clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

Perkins, who had been out of the NBA since the 2015/16 season, caught on with the Cavs at the end of the season, signing with the club before the playoffs got underway. The 33-year-old big man played 15 minutes in Cleveland’s regular-season finale, but didn’t see any action during the postseason, though he was involved in a couple sideline incidents involving Drake and Draymond Green.

Perkins’ contract with the Cavs included a team option for the 2018/19 campaign, which Cleveland exercised last month. That option decision didn’t guarantee Perkins’ salary for the coming season though, so the club won’t be on the hook for his $2.45MM salary and cap charge.

The move won’t open up any extra cap room for the Cavs, but it will create a little extra flexibility below the luxury tax line. That will give the team more options as it weighs re-signing Rodney Hood and/or using the mid-level exception.

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