Kendrick Perkins Sends Clear Message to Kawhi Leonard Amid Raptors Trade Rumors
Trade speculation surrounding Kawhi Leonard is moving quickly, and it’s starting to look more and more like he could be heading back to the Toronto Raptors.
Multiple reports over the weekend indicated that the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers had engaged in talks, and on Monday, those talks have reportedly intensified into “serious discussions” about a blockbuster reunion.
Leonard is entering the final year of his contract, and the Clippers are reportedly weighing a new direction after another disappointing season.
On Monday, the conversation took another turn when ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins delivered perhaps the strongest criticism yet on Leonard’s tenure as a Clipper.
“Let’s be real here. Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers has been one of the biggest disappointments in NBA history. He actually set that franchise back when he arrived, not moved them forward,” Perkins said.
Perkins didn’t stop there. He argued Leonard would be welcomed back with open arms in Toronto and praised the potential pairing of Leonard and Scottie Barnes, saying, “If I’m Kawhi, I’m trying to get back to The Six as well.”
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After Leonard brought Toronto its first-ever NBA title in 2019, he signed with the Clippers on a three-year, $103 million max deal. He convinced the organization to acquire Paul George in a blockbuster deal that cost a historic haul of draft picks and young talent, including back-to-back league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The goal was to keep that streak going and win multiple championships in LA. Instead, the Clippers era has become defined by injuries and missed opportunities. The infamous collapse after blowing a 3-1 series lead to Denver in the 2020 playoffs remains one of the franchise’s darkest moments.
Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL, and recurring knee issues repeatedly interrupted championship hopes over the following years. Even as he returned to All-NBA form during the 2025-26 season, the Clippers still finished just 42-40 before falling in the Play-In Tournament.
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A return to Toronto would immediately reshape the Raptors franchise. Leonard wouldn’t be asked to carry the team the way he did in 2019, when he averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in the playoffs. This time, he’d have an emerging core around him.
He’d be paired with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Collin Murray-Boyles, and, if everything goes according to plan for Toronto, RJ Barrett. That gives the Raptors the elite two-way wing they’ve lacked since he left in 2019 and the championship pedigree to potentially go on another run.
For the Clippers, it’d be a full-blown reset.
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This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 10:17 PM.