The Memphis Grizzlies have been active on the trade market this season, already making a few notable trades. The latest one has been sending out Eric Bledsoe to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Rajon Rondo, Patrick Beverley, and Daniel Oturu. It looks as though there could be more trades on the horizon for Memphis.
Adrian Wojnarowski’s article regarding the Bledsoe trade reveals that the Memphis Grizzlies are willing to trade some of the players they have received. While Wojnarowski does mention that the Grizzlies are “open-minded” about these players fitting with their roster, the reality seems to be is that they have 16 players, being over the limit for an NBA roster.
The trade gives the Grizzlies salary-cap flexibility in the summer of 2022, when Bledsoe is guaranteed $3.9 million of the $19.3 million in the last year of his deal. Memphis has 16 guaranteed contracts now and will be open to trades for some of the players returning in this deal, sources said. The Grizzlies are open-minded on how they all might fit into the team, but Memphis already has a packed roster.
It would make sense for teams in need of great veterans to target Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo. They both play the guard position, but bring different things to the table. Rajon Rondo is an amazing facilitator who also has championship experience, and he could be a great veteran leader. Rondo’s jumper has also improved over the last few seasons, and he shot 40.4% from 3PT range this season. Patrick Beverley doesn’t really have the playmaking of a traditional point guard, but he is an elite perimeter defender, and he made life tough for multiple scorers during the Clippers’ playoff run.
There is no question that Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo would fit into a lot of different teams around the league. While we don’t know any teams that are interested in the two as of now, it looks as though the Memphis Grizzlies have made both veterans available for trade talks.
