Why Kendrick Perkins Injury Matters For Jimmer Fredette After Kings Buyout
The Kendrick Perkins injury may or may not have an impact on the Oklahoma City Thunder season, but it will most definitely matter for Jimmer Fredette. On Tuesday, news about Perkins’ surgery on his groin revealed that he would be out of the lineup for six weeks. The news was met by mixed reactions from Thunder fans, as the starting center often times seemed to slow down the team.
What will be interesting to watch is how Perkins’ injury will matter for Jimmer Fredette whose buyout from the Sacramento Kings will reportedly happen this week. As the deadline for waived or bought out players to be playoff eligible approaches on March 1st, players like Jimmer Fredette are hoping to latch on to title contenders. The problem for Fredette will be to find a NBA championship hopeful that is in the market for an undersized two guard that can not defend.
Before Kendrick Perkins went down with the injury last Thursday against the Miami Heat, the same game Lebron James received a broken nose, Fredette was being shopped on the trade market for the Kings. Reportedly, the Thunder were interested in acquiring another guard to bolster their backcourt. Iman Shumpert was their main target. Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, Jimmer’s future is up in the air.
How open would Jimmer Fredette be playing with Kevin Durant? #Thunder pic.twitter.com/FAhLu7VUre
— Carson Cunningham (@KOCOCarson) February 25, 2014
Now without Perkins in the starting line up, the chances of the Thunder to go after someone like Fredette is highly unlikely. The Thunder center will be out for at least the next 20 games, right up to the start of the postseason. In his absence, Oklahoma City gets considerably smaller. Most likely they will start Steven Adams in the middle, though they could have Kevin Durant play bigger. Either way, if they make a move now, it will be to acquire a big man. And considering that Glen Davis, Earl Clark, and Jason Collins are all off the table, don’t expect much to happen.
Jimmer Fredette on the other hand will have to work hard to save his NBA season and truthfully his career. The question remains, what team is interested? Most non-contenders are not going to be interested in a limited potential, undersized, shooting guard like Fredette. The Philadelphia 76ers, LA Lakers, and New York Knicks have all been rumored, but chances are they are looking to the future and Fredette will not be in those plans. If the Kendrick Perkins injury takes the Thunder out of the running, one viable option remains. The poor shooting Memphis Grizzlies.
Word is Grizzlies are among teams that have pursued @JimmerFredette in past trade discussions with Sacramento dating to last season
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 25, 2014
The NBA career of Jimmer Fredette may depend on whether or not the Grizzlies want to take a flier on a shooter off the bench. They are ranked 30th in the league in three point attempts and 26th in three point field goal percentage. Fredette could come in off the bench and supply an immediate boost. He is averaging 49 percent from long range, good for best among players with at least 70 attempts. If not the Grizzlies, then who?
NBA injuries can cause multiple domino effects in their wake. But the Kendrick Perkins injury may actually matter more to the career of Jimmer Fredette following his buyout than anyone else.
