Mid-August NBA trades are pretty rare, but we got one between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.
According to a report from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers and the Grizzlies have agreed to a trade featuring a couple of notable guards.
Grizzlies point guard Eric Bledsoe is heading to the Clippers. In return, Los Angeles is sending multiple players – including defensive stalwart Patrick Beverley – to Memphis.
“The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard Eric Bledsoe,” Wojnarowski reports.
The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard Eric Bledsoe, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 16, 2021
The NBA world has taken to social media to react to the trade. According to ESPN front office expert Bobby Marks, there are significant salary cap implications.
Cap ramifications for LAC/MEM:
LAC
🏀Eric Bledsoe: $18.1M and $19.4M ($3.9M GTY)
💰LAC will see their tax bill drop from $125M to $95M (savings of $30M)
💰$8.3M TE for LACMEM
🏀Patrick Beverley: $14.3M
🏀Rajon Rondo: $7.5M ($750K likely bonus)
🏀Daniel Oturu: $1.5M— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 16, 2021
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are reportedly open to keeping all of the players they’ve received in the trade. Beverley could be a nice backcourt mate for Ja Morant. However, he could be on the move elsewhere.
“The Grizzlies, with an already packed roster, are open-minded on the futures of all three players in Memphis — and will likely consider trades with some of those arriving in this deal. Memphis gets salary cap flexibility in the summer of 2022 with trade,” Wojnarowski added.
Bledsoe, meanwhile, will likely be relied on to create offense for the Clippers, who will be missing Kawhi Leonard.
The former Kentucky Wildcats guard is returning to the franchise he began his career with.
Eric Bledsoe back on the Clippers, he was a highlight machine his first time in LA 🔥
(via @gdfactoryclips) pic.twitter.com/WHPcHpzO9K
— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) August 16, 2021
The Clippers are coming off a Western Conference Finals loss. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, lost to the Jazz in the first round.
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