Kendrick Perkins is doing his best to stay upbeat about his impending ACL surgery despite the rumor mill.
"I feel good, I've been here, trying to strengthen [the ACL] before I go into surgery," Perkins told ESPN.com on Tuesday night at a charity event in Boston. "I'm working with [team trainer] Ed [Lacerte] — a lot of leg work and icing trying to get the swelling all the way down … A lot of treatment before I go in for surgery."
Perkins is scheduled to go under the knife next Wednesday. He is not expected to be ready for the opening tip of the 2010-11 season.
"I was hurt at first, to be out so long and away from the game of basketball," Perkins said. "At the end of the day, it's something I've got to deal with. I'll make sure I rehab and come back like I'm supposed to. If I have to be out for like five to six months, that's what it is."
While Doc Rivers will be returning to the Celtics’ bench for the final year of his contract, Ray Allen’s and Paul Pierce’s free-agent statuses have put the future of the Celtics' core in doubt. Perkins said he's looking forward to the end of the free-agency rumors.
"It's been weird," said Perkins. "Every day it's been different for me — different trade rumors, guys may opt out or whatever it may be [and] worried if your coach is coming back. Sooner or later, somebody is going to have to speak up, whatever it may be. It's going to have to come to an end sooner or later, that's how I feel about it. But it's been tough the last few days."
Perkins himself was subject to draft night trade rumors, as the C’s attempts to acquire Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins reportedly involved Perkins as the centerpiece on the other end of the exchange.
Still, Perk holds no resentment toward the Celtics front office about the matter.
"I know this is a business," Perkins told ESPN.com. "I'm at the practice facility every day, so I talked to Danny [Ainge]. Danny told me [that] if he was going to trade me, he'll tell me first — he's got nothing to hide from me. It's just rumors."
