With the NBA offseason upon us, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins outlined a series of bold moves he’s forecasting for this summer.
Amid the madness yet to ensue, Perkins predicted an eye-opening destination for Sixers star James Harden in free agency.
Harden is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with Philadelphia and hit the open market, at which point Perkins indicates the Lakers could be a suitable destination for the veteran guard.
If the move comes to fruition, it would mark a homecoming for Harden, a Los Angeles native who attended Artesia High in nearby Lakewood.
In addition to his Harden-to-L.A. rhetoric, Perkins also elaborated on a few other moves he’s expecting to go down this offseason, including Bradley Beal heading to the Celtics, Fred VanVleet signing with the 76ers, Brook Lopez re-signing with the Bucks and Draymond Green leaving Golden State to join the Suns.
.@KendrickPerkins is predicting some BIG moves this summer 👀
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 14, 2023
(via NBA Today) pic.twitter.com/1rrctlfIMy
Harden’s contract features a player option for the 2023-24 NBA season. If he opts into the deal, he’ll be due $35.6 million, but the expectation remains that he’ll explore free agency.
Joining forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles could be one of Harden’s best paths towards winning a ring, and Perkins boldly backed the move to go down.
Harden also was linked with a return to the Rockets throughout much of the season, but Perkins seems to believe the Lakers are a more likely landing spot for the 33-year-old.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game with the 76ers in 2022-23.
