The Los Angeles Clippers are trying to salvage a failing season before it reaches the point of no return. A disappointing 5-16 record has them tied for the second-worst mark in the Western Conference. NBA pundit and former player Kendrick Perkins recently appeared on the Road Trippin’ show and blamed Kawhi Leonard for the team’s hopeless situation.
Perkins went as far as calling Leonard one of the worst free-agent signings in NBA history:
“Kawhi Leonard is one of the WORST free-agent signings in NBA history. He has set the Clippers back 10 to 15 years. Before he got to the Clippers, he demanded that they bring in another star/superstar, meaning Paul George. The Clippers were begging and pleading, we got to keep SGA. He did not want SGA.”
History shows the Clippers gambled on signing Leonard in the 2019 offseason by trading for Paul George and giving up significant assets to do so. Perkins’ claims are accurate in noting that the Clippers knew acquiring George was the only way they could secure Leonard’s commitment.
Perkins Blames Kawhi For Trading Shai
Another point Perkins touched on was the Clippers reluctantly trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder for George. Thunder general manager Sam Presti is widely considered a genius, and he drove up the price for George in any potential deal. Gilgeous-Alexander, along with multiple draft picks, was sent to Oklahoma City in exchange for George.
One of those picks is unprotected and will belong to the Thunder in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. With Oklahoma City sitting at 19-1 as the defending NBA champions, there is a realistic chance they could add a top draft pick to a dominant core. Perkins makes a strong argument that the Clippers failing to win anything of note, while the Thunder thrive off the trade could, by proxy, make Leonard one of the worst signings ever.
George did have some strong seasons with the Clippers, which helps explain Leonard’s logic at the time. However, Los Angeles failed to reach the NBA Finals, and the Thunder went on to win an NBA championship with the reigning MVP. Perkins adds to the criticism of Leonard by highlighting the pain of losing Gilgeous-Alexander and how that regret continues to grow.
Why Clippers Risked It For Kawhi
The context behind why the Clippers gave up everything for the tandem of Leonard and George is not acknowledged by Perkins. Leonard was the ultimate free agent prize because of his Los Angeles roots and the timing of his availability. The Toronto Raptors had just won the 2019 NBA Championship with Leonard as their lone superstar, elevating his value even further.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer needed a franchise star to build his new arena around, and Leonard was the ideal fit at the time. Rumors circulated that Leonard was also considering joining the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
If the Clippers failed to land Leonard, they would enter a new arena without a star, while their top free-agent target could sign with their in-city rival. Leonard’s leverage of using the Lakers’ threat pushed the Clippers to act quickly and trade a future MVP for George as the necessary step to secure his signature. Perkins is not wrong in his assessment, but removing this context makes the decision look far worse.
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