Clippers trade Rajon Rondo to Grizzlies, Eric Bledsoe heading back to L.A.

Eric Bledsoe is going back to where his NBA journey first began.

On Sunday night, it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Los Angeles Clippers are receiving Bledsoe in a trade that sends another former Kentucky Wildcat in Rajon Rondo to the Memphis Grizzlies, along with Patrick Beverley and Daniel Oturu. Bledsoe was recently traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Grizzlies on July 26.

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

Bledsoe, who played at Kentucky from 2009-10, initially started his career with the Los Angeles Clippers after being selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC quickly traded Bledsoe to the Clippers, where he would spend the first three seasons of his NBA career. While in L.A., the bulky point guard made a name for himself in year three, surprising the league as a possible starting point guard. Ahead of the 2013-14 season, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns and has become a constant backcourt starter ever since.

Bledsoe spent the previous three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to the Pelicans.

Unfortunately, his time in New Orleans didn’t exactly go as planned and it was a forgone conclusion that the Grizzlies would move on from him. But the Clippers appear to be making a decent investment in Bledsoe with the idea he can still be a viable option as a starter on a playoff team. L.A. shipped out both Rondo and Beverley, two of the team’s better backcourt players and ball handlers, to bring back Bledsoe back.

But Bledsoe has been consistently healthy for the last three seasons now and is not far removed from making back-to-back NBA All-Defensive Teams. He didn’t work in New Orleans, but nothing did for that franchise last season. With Kawhi Leonard potentially missing a good chunk if not all of the 2021-22 season, the Clippers needed a guard who can score and help run the offense. Bledsoe brings that to the table.

As an added plus, Rondo will now team up in the backcourt with Ja Morant. I have no idea how that will work, but I know for sure I’ll be tuning into Grizzlies games next season.