"All he's been doing is paying salaries" - Kendrick Perkins slams Steve Ballmer for signing James Harden to $70 million deal with Clippers

On Sunday, star guard James Harden agreed to a two-year, $70 million deal to return to the LA Clippers. While the move was expected, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins blasted team owner Steve Ballmer for continually acquiescing to his stars' demands despite yielding little results.

LA acquired Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1 following his public trade request. The former MVP was expected to form a lethal offensive trio alongside superstar forward Kawhi Leonard and his wing co-star Paul George.

However, after finishing fourth (51-31) in the competitive Western Conference, the Clippers fell 4-2 to the fifth-seeded (50-32) Dallas Mavericks in the postseason's first round. Leonard (knee) only appeared in two of six matchups, with Harden and George unable to lead their shorthanded squad to victory.

The early playoff exit marked the third straight year LA failed to advance past Round 1 despite facing championship expectations. Meanwhile, the franchise has still yet to make an NBA Finals appearance. Nonetheless, Ballmer and Co. wasted no time agreeing to terms with Harden on a new deal on Sunday, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Shortly after, Perkins harshly assessed the signing on ESPN's "NBA Today," questioning Ballmer's ownership approach. The one-time NBA champion highlighted how the billionaire continues to shell out cash to fund a consistently underwhelming team.

"Seriously, what are they doing? Ever since Steve Ballmer took over as far as buying this team, all he's been doing is paying salaries, paying doctor bills and paying construction workers," Perkins said. "That's it. This team has underachieved damn near every single season and they're never reliable when it comes down to when it matters the most."

Perkins added that the Clippers' future remains mirky, given their injury-prone, veteran-laden roster with little room for improvement.

"We don't know which direction they're going in, but it doesn't seem like the right direction," Perkins said. "... This roster that they have right now, that's still led by Kawhi Leonard, who you can't depend on, now all of a sudden, you go out and you sign James Harden to a two-year deal, who you also can't depend on—and that doesn't have a damn thing to do with injuries. I'm like, what are they doing?"

Despite LA's lack of postseason success, James Harden is coming off a productive season as a tertiary scorer and primary playmaker. Meanwhile, his new contract is only a short-term deal. So, it shouldn't be too difficult for the Clippers to flip him if they ever pivot toward a rebuild.

Over 72 games, Harden averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.6 3-pointers per game on 42.8% shooting.

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James Harden could receive increased role with Clippers next season

While LA retained James Harden, Paul George is reportedly leaving the franchise in free agency.

According to Shams Charania's Sunday report, the Clippers "announced that George has decided to sign with another team."

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report/TNT's Chris Haynes reported on Sunday that LA is "working to find a trade partner" for Harden's backup, Russell Westbrook. Haynes added that "it’s believed [Westbrook] has played his last game for the franchise."

So, if both George and Westbrook depart from the Clippers, James Harden will likely have to shoulder an even heavier offensive burden next season.

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