Paul George’s free-agency departure marked a new era for the Los Angeles Clippers. At this point, this team will need to contend for a championship sans arguably their second-best player over the past five years.
If you ask Kendrick Perkins, however, the ESPN broadcaster believes that there’s no way the Clippers can pose a legitimate challenge for the title with this group. In fact, Big Perk believes it’s time for them to blow it all up.
Los Angeles Clippers News: Kendrick Perkins Wants Kawhi Leonard Traded
According to Perkins, it would be in LA’s best interest to move on from Kawhi Leonard. Now that George has taken his talents elsewhere, it’s time for the Clippers to part ways with Leonard as well:
“They’re not even a legitimate threat coming out of the Western Conference,” Perkins said. “… They need to go in a rebuild mode. If I’m the Clippers, I would consider — really consider — trading Kawhi Leonard right now because they’re just stuck in the middle.”
"If I'm the Clippers, I would consider trading Kawhi Leonard right now, because they're just stuck in the middle." 😬 @KendrickPerkins says the Clippers should consider a rebuild after losing Paul George 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZR9CyE3ptr
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 16, 2024
Perkins’ argument is that Leonard won’t be able to lead this current squad to a championship. In this light, the former NBA big man believes that the Clippers should instead accept their fate and embrace a full rebuild.
The only way they can do that is by giving up Leonard in order to acquire future assets that can help them with their revamp.
While it might sound drastic, it’s hard to deny that Perkins does have a point here. Leonard is still one of the top superstars in the game today, and the Clippers should receive a major haul in a potential blockbuster trade deal.
The other alternative for LA is to keep on fighting this fight with Leonard at the forefront. It goes without saying, however, that they will need to surround him with more firepower if they’re serious about competing for a championship this coming season.
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