Kendrick Perkins Warns Rob Pelinka After LeBron James’ Exit: “Your A** Is on the Clock”

Kendrick Perkins criticized Rob Pelinka for LeBron James' exit from the Lakers.

Kendrick Perkins Warns Rob Pelinka After LeBron James’ Exit: “Your A** Is on the Clock”

Kendrick Perkins on Rob Pelinka after LeBron James exit (Image credits - Firstsportz)

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers partnership has finally come to an end after eight years. It is the longest he has spent in any club before. During his eight-year spell, he delivered a championship, won the Finals MVP, and broke the all-time points record.

James is coming off a historic 23rd season in the NBA. While he may not be the player he once was, he did show that he can still lead and play at a high level during the playoffs this year.

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins did not hold back when calling out Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.

Rob Pelinka, your a** is on the clock. The Laker fanbase aint trying to hear nothing. They need to see action. He’s trying to get it right for 6 years. And I’m not giving him credit for the Luka trade, he fell into his lap.

Kendrick Perkins on NBA Today on ESPN

Rob Pelinka is on the hot seat at the moment. He faced criticism this season for not surrounding Luka Doncic and LeBron James with the right players around them to contend for a championship.

Kendrick Perkins called out the Lakers a few days ago for building the team around Doncic and Austin Reaves. While Doncic is one of the best players in the league today and Reaves was a revelation for the Lakers this season, both of them are defensive liabilities. And it is well known that defense wins championships.

James’ exit was confirmed on Tuesday as he decided not to sign with them and wanted to test free agency. Multiple teams are interested in his services but for now, it looks like the Golden State Warriors are pushing hard for his signing.

However, Pelinka will be under pressure to surround Doncic with the right players. Since Doncic arrived at the trade deadline last year, the Lakers have lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2025 and were beaten in the Western Conference Semifinals this year despite Doncic not making a single appearance due to injury.

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Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James’ exit will expose Luka Doncic’s biggest weakness

There is no doubt that Luka Doncic is the focal point of the Lakers team since his arrival. The front office built their roster around the Slovenian as the Lakers prepared for life in the post-LeBron James era. With James on his way out, Rob Pelinka will be able to focus wholeheartedly on building around their new franchise player.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James jointly set NBA history
Luka Doncic and LeBron James (Image via LakersYoShow/X)

Kendrick Perkins believes Doncic’s deficiencies as a leader are bound to be exposed and exploited after James’ departure.

They can not afford to lose LeBron James. If we want to take a deep dive into Luka Doncic, when has he ever been brought up in a conversation where we said Luka Doncic is a great leader of a franchise? We say that with Anthony Edwards, we say that with Cade Cunningham, we say that with SGA, about Wemby.

Kendrick Perkins on First Take

Doncic is still looking to win his first NBA championship. He did lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, but Perkins believes that James was the leader of the Lakers even though Doncic was their best player.

Kendrick Perkins loves the idea of LeBron James and Stephen Curry playing together

There have been reports that the Golden State Warriors are interested in signing LeBron James as a free agent. The move would see James pair up with Stephen Curry for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they won the gold medal.

Kendrick Perkins supported the idea of the two superstars joining forces in Golden State next season.

It is not about the money when it comes to LeBron James; it is about happiness. The last time we saw James happy was when he won the gold medal playing alongside Steph Curry. He has come out publicly and said he wants to play with Steph. They are trying to win NBA championships. You do that by signing LeBron James.

There is no doubt that there will be a lot of hype surrounding the Warriors if James joins them in the offseason. He has been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat as well. Only time will tell where James decides to go and play next season.

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