Clippers trade 3 players for Eric Bledsoe because apparently it’s 2013 again

The Los Angeles Clippers are heading back to 2013, shipping Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu to the Grizzlies for Eric Bledsoe.

Eric Bledsoe is a Clipper. Welcome back to 2013!

Los Angeles is trading Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu to the Grizzlies for their former point guard, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The move was likely brought on by financial details. Hoops Hype’s Yossi Gozlan explained the Clippers will decrease their luxury tax bill by $30 million while also trimming the roster down to 15 players. They’ll also get an $8.3 million exemption.

Clippers trade Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu for Eric Bledso

Rondo is 35 years old, so his age made him expendable, especially with three guards drafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. Oturu was a second-round draft pick last year. He averaged 5.4 minutes as a rookie.

Beverley is the big question mark in the trade. He started 34 games for LA last year, but injuries took their toll. His intense style made him a liability at times as well. Still, he was a real contributor.

The debate over Bledsoe and Beverley in terms of ability will rage. The former will have to prove he has more to give to a championship run with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

It’s been a busy time for Bledsoe since he left Los Angeles.

The Clippers sent Bledsoe to the Suns in a three-team trade back in 2013. He played in Phoenix for four seasons before he was traded to Milwaukee in 2018. The Bucks shipped him off to the Pelicans in a four-team trade in 2020. His odyssey continued last week when New Orleans traded him to the Grizzlies as part of a three-team trade.

He’s averaged 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals in his 11-year career.