Former NBA big man and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has agreed to become the basketball general manager at Jackson State, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity to impact young lives and pour back into my community,” Perkins said, who will continue to work for ESPN.

Perkins worked closely with new Jackson State coach Trey Johnson and athletic director Ashley Robinson to finalize the role. The Tigers went 12-21 last season and haven’t made a trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2007.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

• Greek club Panathinaikos has the inside track on securing the services of wing Isaac Bonga, provided he doesn’t get an NBA offer, Sportando relays. Bonga played for Partizan Belgrade last season. Partizan reportedly blocked Bonga from pursuing NBA offers last season because he did not have an in-season exit clause in his contract, which runs until 2027. Bonga averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 38 EuroLeague games with Partizan. A Serbian outlet reported in late April that the Pistons were looking to sign Bonga for next season.
• Former NBA guard Armoni Brooks has confirmed that he will be joining France’s ASVEL club, according to Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops.net. Brooks is coming off a solid EuroLeague season with Italy’s Milan, where he averaged 13.1 points while shooting 51.4% on two-pointers and 41.6% on three-pointers. Brooks appeared in 84 NBA games, most recently with Brooklyn in 2023/24.
• Spotrac contributor Keith Smith takes a comprehensive look at 73 player and team options as the free agent period approaches and makes his prediction on each of those decisions. He also makes his predictions on whether teams will retain or drop the 25 players whose contracts have a guarantee trigger by Aug. 1.