Kendrick Perkins wants to tell the New Orleans Pelicans' fan base that he's sorry. On "Perk Unplugged," via the Road Trippin' network, the former Pelicans center previously hopped on the bandwagon started by NBA media personality Bill Simmons that the franchise should re-locate as opposed to the league expanding to 32 teams.
"Then, we come back to this point of, 'Oh, yeah,'" Perkins said. "'If there's an expansion, then the Pelicans might move to Vegas.' Listen, let me say this, I've barked up that tree before and it was a mistake on my part."
The retired center then leaned closer to his camera.
"I've said the Pelicans just need to sell the franchise and re-locate and do all of this," Perkins said. "And d--- it, the fan base got on my heels like a pair of church socks. I thought about it, and I was wrong. The fan base down there is actually pretty d--- good. They're just waiting on the Pelicans to do something."
The Pelicans ranked 25th in the league last season with an average attendance of 16,815, according to Basketball Reference. The Smoothie King Center has a capacity 17,791. The New Orleans Saints ranked 13th in the NFL last season with an average attendance of 70,012 despite having a 5-12 record.
"I get it," he said. "You have the Saints, everybody looks forward to football, and football is king, but d--- it, you can make your way.
"Zion [Williamson], [if] you look in shape, come into this season healthy, win this fan base over, pour into this organization, you've got a nice young coach in Willie Green, I believe that they're going to be just fine. They finally have a truthful leader, or leaders I should say, and as far as the Pelicans being a young squad and making noise? I'm all in on that. I'm all in on the Pelicans."
"I barked up that tree before and it was a mistake on my part... The fan base got on my heels like a pair of church socks... I was wrong, the fan base is pretty damn good. They're just waiting for the Pelicans to do something"
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) July 29, 2025
-- @KendrickPerkins on the Pelicans relocating pic.twitter.com/K6M6Cl0Xhq
Draft night not lost
Perkins also mentioned he played for the Pelicans and New Orleans is one of his favorite cities.
He said he disagreed with criticism over the team's decision in the NBA Draft to trade up and take Derik Queen.
"He's arguably the most skilled player in this draft," Perkins said. "He doesn't have a ceiling. Call him Lil Wayne, he has No Ceiling. I'm seeing these grades that the Pelicans got an 'F.' No the f--- they didn't. Not if you know basketball. They're going to be all right."
The analyst said he sees the team having a "fighting chance" of making the NBA Playoffs this season through the play-in tournament.
"They've got some young studs over there, Joe Dumars, Troy Weaver, I'm telling y'all they are going to get that culture together," he said.
He also reminded his viewers Weaver is the executive who drafted the players from the Detroit Pistons young corps that includes Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey.
"One of the most underrated eyes in the game," Perkins said of Weaver.
