The Los Angeles Clippers had a very busy NBA deadline deal, taking part in multiple trades as they looked to reshape their backcourt and depth on their roster. One of the deals that they completed was of the three-team variety with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Clippers acquired veteran Eric Gordon from the Clippers. To complete the deal, Los Angeles is sending Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies and John Wall back to the Rockets. Wall will be waived by the Rockets according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, making that twice in less than a year Houston has released him.
The last player on the move is Danny Green, going from Memphis to Houston. As for draft compensation, the Clippers are getting three second-round picks from the Grizzlies, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
A first-round pick swap will also be done as the Rockets will swap a 2023 first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks for the least favorable between a Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round pick as long as they don’t land inside the top-six.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets & LA Clippers Updates
For the Clippers, acquiring Gordon fills their need for a guard who can create some offense, shoot 3-pointers and hold their own defensively. Los Angeles originally drafted him seventh overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, so he is taking his second tour with the team.
But, he is coming back to a much different Clippers franchise than the one he left in December of 2011 when he was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in the Chris Paul blockbuster. The franchise never had a winning record with Gordon on the team, but since he has been traded, they have made the playoffs nine out of 11 seasons and never had a losing record.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets & LA Clippers Updates
This trade is a win for the Clippers as they not only got the best player in the deal, but they added future draft compensation and will still be selecting in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft; it may just be a little lower via the Bucks. The Grizzlies did a solid job in this swap as well as they got a younger shooter in Kennard to take the place of Green on the roster.
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