Perkins gets 4-year, $35 million extension
Before ever playing a game for the Oklahoma City Thunder, center Kendrick Perkins(notes) has agreed to a four-year, $34.8 million contract extension, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
After the Boston Celtics traded Perkins, Nate Robinson(notes) and a first-round draft pick to the Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic(notes) on Thursday, Perkins agent, Bob Myers, flew to Oklahoma City on Friday and worked through the weekend on the extension.
The deal is structured similarly to how the Thunder extended forward Nick Collison's(notes) contract earlier this season. Perkins' $4.4 million salary for this season was raised to $6.7 million, and the extension – with subsequent annual raises – was built off that.
The deal includes $750,000 in annual bonuses, sources said.
Perkins, 26, missed the first half of this season after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee. He is currently sidelined for two to three weeks after injuring his left knee prior to being traded to the Thunder.
