Lakers News: Kendrick Perkins Takes Shot at LA's Latest Move

LeBron James' former Cleveland Cavaliers comrade has dissed James' current club.

June 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (21) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-85 to complete a four-game sweep. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The NBA world was abuzz late Friday night, when word broke that the New York Knicks were swapping out three-time All-Star power forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo, forward Keita Bates-Diop, and a first round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves, in order to add four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA center/power forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

Another, smaller new NBA personnel move was also reported Friday night. The Los Angeles Lakers hired former Oklahoma City Thunder physical therapist and athletic trainer Vanessa Brooks to function in that capacity for L.A.

Read More: Los Angeles Makes Huge Addition to Medical Staff Ahead of Preseason

Former Boston Celtics champion center Kendrick Perkins, who went 1-1 in his pair of NBA Finals matchups against the Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol-era Lakers in 2008 and 2010, called out the Lakers for essentially being asleep at the transactional wheel throughout the offseason.

The NBA is NBA’ing meanwhile the Lakers are hiring their trainers. 😑 https://t.co/0sajpdg05S

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) September 28, 2024

“The NBA is NBA’ing meanwhile the Lakers are hiring their trainers. 😑,” Perkins wrote.

Perkins, now an ESPN personality, seems to have it in for his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James' current club. In fairness, given that he spent his best years with Boston — Los Angeles' on-court archnemesis — that certainly makes sense.

The Lakers stayed largely dormant throughout the 2024 offseason. 13 of the 15 players on L.A.'s standard roster remain unchanged from the 2023-24 vintage of the team. 3-and-D combo forward Taurean Prince inked a veteran's minimum contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, while point guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a minimum of his own to return to the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he went to the Western Conference Finals in 2022. That duo was replaced by the Lakers' two selections in the 2024 NBA Draft. Los Angeles drafted former All-American Tennessee Volunteers shooting guard Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick, and used the No. 55 selection on former USC Trojans reserve point guard Bronny James, eldest son of Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James.

Although the Lakers went a solid-if-unspectacular 47-35 and were kicked to the curb in the first round of the playoffs during 2023-24, team president Rob Pelinka appears to be banking on internal development, fostered by first-year head coach JJ Redick. In fairness, the two players expected to be L.A.'s best perimeter defenders heading into the year, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, played a combined 40 games between them due to injuries. Then again, the Lakers' ultimate starting five of D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Anthony Davis was stunningly healthy. Even if one can expect Vanderbilt and Vincent to be less injury-prone in 2024-25, there's no guarantee that the club's more important players won't deal with significant ailments — which, theoretically, is why the Lakers are bringing in one of the best physical therapists and athletic trainers in the game.

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