Will Eric Bledsoe's return to LA help the Clippers' title hopes?
There's another big trade in Los Angeles, but this time, it’s the Clippers who are getting in on the action.
On Sunday, the Clippers acquired veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guards Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo and center Daniel Oturu.
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This won't be Bledsoe's first go-around in La La Land. He was the Oklahoma City Thunder's first-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft but was subsequently traded to the Clippers, with whom he played for the next three seasons.
Bledsoe went on to have stints with the Phoenix Suns (2013-17), Milwaukee Bucks (2017-20) and New Orleans Pelicans (2020-21) before being dealt to the Grizzlies on Aug. 7. Now, he will join his fourth team since the start of the 2020-21 season.
During his first run with LA, Bledsoe started 38 of 197 games, averaging 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He shot 43% from the floor — including 30% from 3-point range — and 75% from the free-throw line.
Despite just decent numbers, he was no stranger to the highlight reel.
On the other side of the deal, the 33-year-old Beverly has averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game the past four seasons with the Clippers.
Rondo, 35, is a well-traveled veteran known primarily for the nine seasons he spent with the Boston Celtics from 2006 to '14. He played last season with the Atlanta Hawks and Clippers, starting just three games.
Was the move a good one for the Clippers?
If you're thinking financially, the answer is yes.
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In terms of on the floor, if you ask Shannon Sharpe, it's unlikely to be beneficial in LA's quest to a title. He outlined why on Monday's "Undisputed," pointing to the fact that the Clippers still have only two superstars, one of whom is injured.
"I don’t really see how it helps them that much," Sharpe said. "Bledsoe is a very good defender. I think Pat Beverley is a very good defender. He can score a little bit more than Pat Bev, but … I don’t really see how this aids the Clippers. The Clippers are a Big 2, Paul George and Kawhi [Leonard]. This is what we don’t know: if and when Kawhi’s going to play next season."
In his 11-season career, Bledsoe has averaged 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the regular season while putting up 11.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the playoffs.
With that, Sharpe's cohost, Skip Bayless, was on the same page, saying that he tried to love the trade but couldn't. Bayless explained why he believes the window is closing on the Clippers and noted that he loved the edge Beverley and Rondo brought to LA.
"I don’t get it, and if you’re trying to tell me that Steve Ballmer wanted to save luxury-tax money, then we’re all in trouble," Bayless said. "I still believed this team had one big last run left in it, and I love Pat Bev, and you know how much I love Rondo. … I’m talking edge in the locker room, edge in the sideline huddles, edge on the basketball court.
"They are not the player Eric Bledsoe is, but they are playmakers. … [Beverley] is so physical and fierce on defense that he just disrupts, he distracts, he bothers, he torments on defense."
Skip Bayless on Eric Bledsoe trade: This means trouble for the Clippers with no edge from Pat Bev & Rondo I UNDISPUTED
Regardless of who is at guard for the Clippers next season, Leonard will not be on the floor to start the season, which will affect LA's title hopes one way or another.
Whether Bledsoe can help fill the gap in the meantime is a story to be told at a later date.
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