"If I were Kawhi Leonard, I would ask to get out of there" - Kendrick Perkins on Clippers' future after losing Paul George to 76ers
Following star wing Paul George's departure to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Kawhi Leonard-led LA Clippers' future is up in the air. According to ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, Leonard should look to move on from the franchise in favor of joining a team better positioned for championship contention.
Upon teaming up in 2019, Leonard and George were expected to lead LA to unprecedented heights. However, they mustered only three playoff series wins over their five-year tenure together, never making an NBA Finals appearance.
This past season, the fourth-seeded (51-31) Clippers lost 4-2 in Round 1 of the postseason to the Dallas Mavericks, falling well short of expectations. Afterward, they declined to offer George a four-year maximum contract extension, culminating with his departure.
Early Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the nine-time All-Star agreed to a four-year, $212 million max deal with the Sixers.
Before George's decision, LA was able to re-sign star guard James Harden to a two-year, $70 million contract on Sunday. It also signed several role players over the past two days, including Derrick Jones Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn and Mo Bamba.
However, there are still doubts as to whether the Clippers can compensate for the loss of their secondary scoring option (22.6 points per game).
On Monday's edition of ESPN's "NBA Today," Perkins touched on LA's outlook. He noted that Leonard should look to follow George's lead by seeking greener pastures.
"Even if they had Paul George, they weren't gonna be in contention, and if I were Kawhi Leonard, I would ask to get out of there," Perkins said. "He knows what a championship team looks like, and dammit, that's not one of them."
Leonard is already 33 and has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few seasons. That includes right knee inflammation that limited him to just two playoff outings this year. So, the two-time NBA champion may not have many prime years left to contend for his third title.
Kendrick Perkins says Clippers should trade Kawhi Leonard and enter "rebuild mode"
It remains to be seen if Kawhi Leonard will request a trade and if LA would oblige his request. However, according to Kendrick Perkins, the organization should be eyeing a rebuild.
During Monday's analysis of the Clippers' offseason, Perkins expressed concern about Leonard's ability to maintain a superstar level. The one-time champion added that LA should begin searching for a younger up-and-coming star to usher in its next era.
"It's concerning, right? Kawhi Leonard hasn't been available, and it's just not the time," Perkins said. "I know they gotta put butts in the seats, but dammit, they might have to reconsider who their next superstar is gonna be, and probably go into rebuild mode."
This offseason seemingly marks the ideal time for the Clippers to move on from Leonard before he potentially sustains another serious injury. However, it's unclear what the six-time All-Star's trade value would be at this stage of his career.
Over 68 games this past season, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.1 3-pointers per game, shooting 52.5%.
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