MEMPHIS, Tennessee — He’s gone before he got here, and the Memphis Grizzlies may not be done making moves two months before the start of the 2021-2022 NBA season.
The Grizzlies are trading newly-acquired guard Eric Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Clippers for Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu.
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES:
The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that the team acquired guards Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo and center Daniel Oturu from the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Eric Bledsoe.
Beverley (6-1, 180) has appeared in 468 games (384 starts) and holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.14 steals in 27.6 minutes in his nine-year NBA career with Houston and the Clippers. Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 42nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Arkansas, the 33-year-old Chicago native competed in 37 games (34 starts) and averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.5 minutes for the Clippers last season.
Rondo (6-1, 180) has appeared in 918 games (732 starts) and owns career averages of 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.62 steals in 30.4 minutes in his 15-year NBA career with Boston, Dallas, Sacramento, Chicago, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta and the Clippers. Drafted by Phoenix with the 21st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 35-year-old Louisville native split last season with the Hawks and Clippers and averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 17.1 minutes in 45 games (three starts).
Oturu (6-10, 240) appeared in 30 games off the bench and averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.4 minutes as a rookie for the Clippers last season. The 21-year-old Brooklyn native was selected by Minnesota with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of the University of Minnesota.
Bledsoe (6-1, 214), who was acquired by Memphis via trade on Aug. 7, has appeared in 702 games (539 starts) in his 11-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix, Milwaukee and New Orleans. The 31-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native was drafted by Oklahoma City with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky.
NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski also reports that, “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.”
On August 7, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired guard Eric Bledsoe, the draft rights to wing Ziaire Williams, center Steven Adams, and other considerations as part of a three-team trade.
According to a news release from the Grizzlies when the team announced Bledsoe’s acquisition, “Bledsoe (6-1, 214) has appeared in 702 games (539 starts) and owns career averages of 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 28.0 minutes in his 11-year NBA career with the Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Selected 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 31-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.7 minutes in 71 games (70 starts) for New Orleans last season.”