NBA News: What Eric Bledsoe Trade Means For Los Angeles Clippers

Eric Bledsoe is on the move once again, and his new home is the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Kentucky product, alongside Steven Adams, two future first-round picks and their 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th pick.

When the trade was announced, it was not expected that Bledsoe would stay in Memphis and that has materialized in a trade with the Clippers.

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski first broke the trade and the Grizzlies will be receiving Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and center Daniel Oturu.

Bledsoe will return to the team that drafted him 18th overall in the 2010 draft before having stops with the Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans.

The 6-foot-1 point guard had one of his worst seasons ever last year after finishing with averages of 12.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game, all of which were his lowest since the 2012-13 season.

For the Clippers, this looks like a decent fill-in trade as they are expected to miss Kawhi Leonard for the rest of the season as he deals with an ACL injury.

The two-time All-Defensive Team player will be in search of a return to form with the Clippers as his playstyle perfectly fits that of Beverley’s defense and Rondo’s ability to make plays and push the pace whenever possible.

Paul George will need to carry the Clippers once again this season, but having Bledsoe as his point guard will help keep some of the load off his back.

The Clippers will be having low expectations going into the 2021-22 season since Leonard is out, but it does not mean that they will not be competitive due to the Bledsoe trade.

In the prime of his career with the Suns, Bledsoe was an athletic point guard that relied heavily on that athleticism to help him slash into the paint and get and-1 opportunities, leading many to nickname him “Mini-LeBron” for his build and physical play style.

However, athletic players do not always age gracefully and his lone season with the Pelicans showed that.

With the trade, the Clippers will have a projected starting five of Reggie Jackson, Bledsoe, George, Marcus Morris, and Ivica Zubac, as well as a decent bench depth after shifting Luke Kennard to the bench alongside Terance Mann, who had himself one heck of a coming-out party in the playoffs.

The Clippers roster looks to remain competitive enough this season as they gun for another playoff berth, but that will be heavily reliant on Bledsoe jelling well with George and Jackson, both players who need the ball in their hands to be effective.