Free-Agent Forward Perkins Leaves Mavs, Signs With Lakers

Forward Sam Perkins, unrestricted free agent, has signed with the Lakers.

The NBA club called a news conference for late afternoon at which time it said the announcement would be made.

No terms were announced, but sources have said that Perkins will be paid as much as $3 million per year.

Perkins, 29, played six seasons for the Dallas Mavericks after they made him the fourth overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. He averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds while playing in 76 games for the Mavericks last season.

In his six NBA seasons, Perkins, 6-9 1/2 and 257 pounds, has averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds while making 47.7% of his field-goal attempts and 81.4% of his free throws.

Perkins was a teammate of Lakers forward James Worthy at North Carolina and was a co-captain of the gold medal-winning 1984 United States Olympic team.

The signing of Perkins is the second significant roster move the Lakers have made since the season ended. Last week, they traded reserve forward Orlando Woolridge to the Denver Nuggets for two future second-round draft choices.

It is expected that they’ll make even more moves. The trading of longtime swingman Michael Cooper has been rumored, as well as the possibility that Cooper might sign with an Italian team.

Also, starting forward A. C. Green and starting guard Byron Scott reportedly are on the trading block. A rumored deal has the Lakers trading Green and Scott to Cleveland.