And Ibaka's salary is a fraction of what Perk makes. We need to quit pretending Perk is valuable and trade him.
Ibaka has defense with his blocks, but Perk has size and the ability to put a body on a man with his defense. He also is a master at the "pick" part of "pick and roll."
Remember we got Perk in a trade at the end of his contract, and we signed him to a 4 year extension at the end of that. 9mil per year sounds like a lot, but for what Perkins does on defense and assisting the other scorers is much more balanced than what Harden could offer. He's a much more balanced player, even though his points don't show his offensive contribution on paper.
Harden put up 37 points, and he'll continue to be a leading scorer. But we had TWO leading scorers already. No room for another offensive guard to start. Sefolosha, Perkins, and Ibaka all offer defensive balance to the team. At least, I think that is where Presti was going with this. And I tend to trust it's a wise move.