The LA Clippers have made a major trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that saw them picking up veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Grizzlies received Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Oturu in exchange.
The teams haven’t yet confirmed the deal, but some of the players involved in the trade, including Beverley, already acknowledged it on social media.
The deal gives the Clippers a starting-caliber point guard who can shoulder a significant portion of the playmaking load for the team. Bledsoe played 71 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 assists per game. He was sent to Grizzlies earlier this month as part of the trade that helped New Orleans land center Jonas Valanciunas.
But the trade made even more sense for LA from a financial standpoint. By acquiring Bledsoe, the Clippers saved themselves $30 million in luxury tax while also getting an $8.3 million trade exception.
The Grizzlies, on the other hand, get financial flexibility with the deal as Beverley and Rondo are both on expiring contracts. The team could let their contracts run out and use them as part of the rotation or flip them before the trade deadline and get more assets in return.
Beverley, considered one of the league’s most energetic defenders, spent the previous four years in Los Angeles and picked up three NBA All-Defensive nods. He finished the 2020-21 season averaging 7.5 points per game.
Rondo, on the other hand, started the season with the Atlanta Hawks but ended up being shipped to the Clippers in exchange for Lou Williams and two second-round draft picks. The Clippers hoped Rondo would help them in the postseason with his experience and playmaking skills, but the 35-year-old veteran struggled in the playoffs and fell completely out of the rotation towards the end of the team’s run.
Finally, Daniel Oturu is a 2020 second-round pick who had an encouraging NBA Summer League performance this year. It is unclear whether the Grizzlies plan to keep him.
