Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at 9:30 am  |  20 responses

Kendrick Perkins Says Thunder are Close to Re-Signing James Harden


There’s been speculation throughout the offseason that the OKC Thunder wouldn’t be able to keep rising star James Harden going forward — Harden is expected to receive max contract offers from Thunder rivals when his current deal expires — but teammate Kendrick Perkins (who, apparently, moonlights as an NBA reporter) claims that OKC will find a way to retain the bearded one. Per the Oklahoman: “Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, speaking after an appearance at a Thunder Fit event at a local middle school, said the two sides are ‘getting close’ on a deal that would keep the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Oklahoma City. ‘We’re doing good. We’re making positive steps going forward,’ Perkins said of the organization’s offseason. ‘We got coach (Scott) Brooks locked in. We got Serge (Ibaka) locked in. And we’re getting close with James, and we’re getting close to keeping our unit together. And we’re still hungry.’ Harden is eligible to receive an extension of up to four years. Harden is believed to be seeking a contract worth the maximum allowable amount, which could be $58 million. But with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook already inked to maximum deals, as well as Ibaka and Perkins recently signing high-dollar extensions, the Thunder might not be able to afford to keep Harden, with more severe penalties for teams that exceed the tax level set to kick in prior to the 2013-14 season. If Harden doesn’t sign a deal by Oct. 31, he will become a restricted free agent next summer, which would allow him to hit the open market but gives the Thunder the right to match any deal he might be offered. ‘Once James gets here, it’s nothing to be said,’ Perkins said. ‘He’ll see his family and that’s all he needs. So once he sees everybody’s faces, that’s enough said.’”

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , ,

  • PippenAintEasy

    “Scowl-abrine” better be right. And if he’s right, they will be THE team to beat for the next 4-5 years, not LBJ and co. I love the Lakers, but L.A.’s future is less brighter then OKC’s.

  • SuperEman24

    James Harden close to re-signing with the thunder coz Ugly Perk will be amnestied. Lol

  • The Bugg

    He and more big stars should take pay cuts to stay with their current teams to give themselves a better chance at a ring. I can’t understand why it never happens.

  • Guest

    He and more star players should take pay cuts to stay with their current teams and give themselves a better chance at a ring. I can’t understand why it never happens.

  • Bravo

    But James harden sucked in the playoffs and he always will…………..he useless n playoffs

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/savagemuzicgroup T-Ray

    Bottom line is it all comes down to egos or just wanting more money to provide for yourself and your family.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Gilbert/100001749589586 Mike Gilbert

    to be honest…Id take the big money and the chance to be a star on your own team….would you rather be in Durant and Westbrook’s shadow your whole life or be the star of a team like the Suns?

  • http://twitter.com/bjollz Björn Atli Davíðsson

    It would have made more sense to pay Harden than Ibaka or Perk from the get go. Harden’s skill set is more unique, contenders can usually find above average bigs for cheap.

  • Kevin

    Nah he sucked in the Finals. As a Spurs fan allow me to be the first to say that he killed us in the WCF

  • Sean B

    Seriously… money is important. But winning, and playing with your boys(I think those OKC boys have a legit bond comparable to college teams due to the fact that they are really young), outweighs all the money that he may leave on the table if he re-signs.

  • MUBWAR

    egos usually

  • Dagger

    Why it never happens? Duncan took less money to stay with the Spurs; Allen took less money to come to the Heat. Hell, Lebron, Wade and Bosh all took less money so Haslem could stay on the Heat.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Someone should probably let Kendrick know that it may take amnestying him to keep Harden……8^(

  • CubicleWorker

    I think they will overpay for Harden effectively limiting all future moves. He froze in the finals and shouldn’t deserve a max deal. As good as Harden is I think he’s overrated. He’s at best a 21-22 ppg (for a couple career years) fringe all star on the lottery team if he wants to be “the man”. If you’re OKC you have to seriously consider a sign and trade with someone like the Suns or trade for a pick and a big from Sacremento, then let PJ3 develop as their next sixth man..

  • roscoe

    Check that “he froze in the finals” comment. His left hand, yep, that left hand he used to go around everyone in the W. Conference was injured in the conf. finals & okc did not publicize that info for good reasons.
    As far as “deserve a max deal” the market will tell him that.
    Carry on.

  • roscoe

    I remember when Oden was drafted in Portland all the Hash fans were saying the same thing…
    Walking the road & knowing the road are different things.

  • The Bugg

    If it meant I had a much better shot at winning a championship I’d gladly stay in their shadows.

  • The Bugg

    Alright then well it almost never happens. Especially with big name players in their prime.

  • Dagger

    But the problem with it happening too much is that small-market teams will get screwed. If it matters less that a team in Cleveland or Charlotte can offer their own players more money than teams in LA or Miami, then what hope do small-market teams have of retaining talent (unless they’re run to perfection and have a lot of luck)? What hope do their fans have of seeing a contending team? I like super teams, but do we really want a league where only 3 teams can realistically win a title at the beginning of the year?

  • The Bugg

    You have a good point but maybe I’m not explaining myself very well because that’s not really what I was getting at. I’m more saying that in cases like this where small market teams like OKC have built almost their entire team through the draft, why would they not all take pay cuts to stick together for the long haul?

Advertisement