Perry Jones was never freer than when he was in Oklahoma City. But for Jones, every taste of freedom in his professional career has been fleeting.
Blessed with athleticism his teammates called the best on the Thunder, as well as ball skills and shooting range, the 6-foot-11, 235-pound Jones was the modern NBA forward. In 2014, he was finally getting his opportunity with injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
"Unfortunately, Kevin and Russ and them were out, but the stretch I had in my third year, that was probably the best part because I didn’t have any restrictions on what I was able to do," Jones told The Oklahoman in a phone interview Friday.