Report: LA Clippers Trade for Eric Bledsoe
The LA Clippers will trade Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for former Clipper Eric Bledsoe, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday.
Bledsoe, who was acquired by the LA Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to his rookie season back in 2010, has two years and over $37 million remaining on his current contract. He was already traded once this offseason from New Orleans to Memphis as part of a larger deal that allowed the Pelicans to move up in the draft.
He will be coming off of a down year in New Orleans, averaging 12.2 points on 42.1% shooting (34.1% from three) for a disappointing Pelicans squad. Prior to last year, however, Bledsoe had proven to be one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA, making First Team All-Defense in 2019 and Second Team All-Defense in 2020 as a member of one of the best defensive teams in the league in the Milwaukee Bucks. While he doesn’t bring the shooting that Beverley does, he does have health on his side—Bledsoe played 71 games last season while Beverley played just 37.
Beverley, Rondo and Oturu will all be expiring contracts after the upcoming season, and LA will now open up a roster spot, shave $30 million off their tax bill and create an $8.3 million trade exception as a result of the trade, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
With Beverley being dealt, Ivica Zubac now remains as the longest-tenured Clipper.
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