The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday waived Eric Bledsoe, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.
Bledsoe was originally acquired on Feb. 4, 2022, from the LA Clippers.
Tag: eric bledsoe
Grizzlies trade Eric Bledsoe to Clippers for Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu
The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired guards Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo and center Daniel Oturu in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Eric Bledsoe.
“We are excited to add Eric, a strong, versatile guard and an established playmaker who can attack the paint and defend multiple positions,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “Eric started his career with the Clippers and we’re delighted to bring him back.”
Bledsoe has appeared in 702 games (539 starts) and owns career averages of 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 28.0 minutes during his 11-year NBA career with the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Clippers. Selected 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 31-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.7 minutes over 71 games (70 starts) for New Orleans last season.
“It’s always difficult to part with people we care about, respect and admire,” said Frank. “Pat has been a pillar of our team for the past four years. He helped build our foundation with his vocal leadership and competitive spirit. Pat played a vital role in some of our most significant achievements. We are grateful for his presence and for the contributions of Rajon, a premier orchestrator, and Daniel, a promising young center. We wish them the best.”
Per the Los Angeles Times, “in addition to dumping the expiring contracts owed to Beverley and Rondo off their books, the Clippers aren’t locked in long-term with Bledsoe; only $3.9 million of his $19 million salary next season is guaranteed. His addition was a bet on the belief that the Clippers’ ability to spread the floor with three-point shooting will play to Bledsoe’s strengths by opening driving lanes to the rim.”
Beverley (6-1, 180) has appeared in 468 games (384 starts) and holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.14 steals in 27.6 minutes in his nine-year NBA career with Houston and the Clippers. Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 42nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Arkansas, the 33-year-old Chicago native competed in 37 games (34 starts) and averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.5 minutes for the Clippers last season.
Rondo (6-1, 180) has appeared in 918 games (732 starts) and owns career averages of 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.62 steals in 30.4 minutes in his 15-year NBA career with Boston, Dallas, Sacramento, Chicago, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta and the Clippers. Drafted by Phoenix with the 21st overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 35-year-old Louisville native split last season with the Hawks and Clippers and averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 17.1 minutes in 45 games (three starts).
Oturu (6-10, 240) appeared in 30 games off the bench and averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.4 minutes as a rookie for the Clippers last season. The 21-year-old Brooklyn native was selected by Minnesota with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of the University of Minnesota.
Three-team NBA trade sends Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe to Grizzlies, Jonas Valanciunas to Pelicans
The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired center Steven Adams, guard Eric Bledsoe, the draft rights to wing Ziaire Williams (the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) and a protected 2022 first round draft pick (via Los Angeles Lakers) from the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a three-team trade also involving the Charlotte Hornets. Memphis also received from New Orleans the draft rights to guard Jared Butler (the 40th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) for his inclusion in a trade agreed to in principle and to be completed later.
In exchange, the Grizzlies traded center Jonas Valančiūnas, the draft rights to forward Trey Murphy (the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) and the draft rights to guard Brandon Boston (the 51st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) to the Pelicans and traded the draft rights to Tyler Harvey (the 51st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft) to the Hornets.
In addition, the Hornets traded guard Devonte’ Graham to the Pelicans. The Pelicans traded wing Wesley Iwundu and a protected 2022 first round pick to the Hornets.
“As we entered this offseason, we were intently focused upon improving our shooting, leadership and the overall fit of our roster,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “The players that are joining us today speak directly to those areas of concern. More importantly, their strength of character as men, and teammates that are eager to be part of our larger Pelicans family will be critical as we continue building towards sustainable success.”
Adams (6-11, 265) has competed in 588 games (524 starts) and holds career averages of 9.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.9 minutes in his eight-year NBA career with the Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder. The New Zealand native started all 58 appearances for New Orleans last season and averaged 7.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.7 minutes. Selected 12th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old ranks seventh in NBA history in field goal percentage (.591).
Bledsoe (6-1, 214) has appeared in 702 games (539 starts) and owns career averages of 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 28.0 minutes in his 11-year NBA career with the Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Selected 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 31-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.7 minutes in 71 games (70 starts) for New Orleans last season.
Williams (6-8 ¼, 185) was named a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award last season as a freshman at Stanford University, where he averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.8 minutes in 20 games. The 19-year-old California native recorded the second triple-double in program history with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 7 vs. Washington and earned Naismith Trophy Player of the Week honors on Jan. 11.
Valančiūnas (6-11 ¼, 265) has competed in 621 games (592 starts) and holds career averages of 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25.6 minutes in his nine-year NBA career with the Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors. Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the 29-year-old Lithuania native averaged 16.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.3 minutes in 151 games (148 starts) over two-plus seasons in Memphis.
Four-team NBA trade sends Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe to Pelicans, Jrue Holiday to Bucks
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has completed a four-team trade with the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pelicans have acquired Steven Adams (via Oklahoma City) and Eric Bledsoe (via Milwaukee), as well as two future first round draft picks from Milwaukee and the right to swap two additional future first round picks with the Bucks.
In exchange, the Bucks have acquired Jrue Holiday and the draft rights to Sam Merrill, the 60th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (via New Orleans).
Also, the Nuggets have acquired the draft rights to R.J. Hampton, the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (via Milwaukee).
And the Thunder have acquired a future first round draft pick (via Denver), George Hill (via Milwaukee), Zylan Cheatham, Josh Gray, Darius Miller and Kenrich Williams (via New Orleans) as well as two second round draft picks from the Pelicans (2023 via Washington, 2024 via Charlotte).
“Jrue Holiday’s contributions to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, both on and off the floor, serve as shining examples to everyone in our Pelicans family,” stated Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “They are a statement of what we want to represent and, frankly, what we have to live up to moving forward. He and his wife Lauren have worked tirelessly to affect the quality of life of those around them and we are honored to have been a part of their journey. We are also thankful for the positive impact that Darius, Kenrich, Josh and Zylan have had on our organization and we wish them nothing but success in their future efforts.”
Adams, 7-0, 265, has spent his entire seven-year career in Oklahoma City, appearing in 530 career regular season games with the Thunder, holding career averages of 9.8 points on .589 shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks. The New Zealand native appeared in 63 games in 2019-20, averaging 10.9 points on .592 shooting from the floor, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks. Selected 12th overall out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 2013 NBA Draft, Adams ranks fifth all-time in OKC/Seattle franchise history in blocks (531) and first in field goal percentage.
Bledsoe, 6-1, 214, appeared in 61 regular season games for Milwaukee last season, averaging 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 steals. Selected 18th overall out of the University of Kentucky in the 2010 NBA Draft, Bledsoe has appeared in 631 career regular season games with the LA Clippers, Phoenix and Milwaukee, holding averages of 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals. The Birmingham, Alabama native is coming off back-to-back seasons with NBA All-Defensive Team honors after being named to the First Team in 2019 and Second Team in 2020.
“Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe are not only fiercely competitive and driven to succeed at the highest levels, they are proven winners with a team-first mentality,” Griffin added. “As we continue to build towards the sustainable success our ownership demands and our fans so richly deserve, we are grateful to be able to do so with such high-quality teammates and human beings.”
Holiday, who was originally acquired by New Orleans in 2013, has appeared in 415 regular season games in a Pelicans uniform, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.5 steals over the last seven seasons. Holiday leaves the franchise ranked fourth all-time in games played (415), minutes (13,913), and points (7,321), third in steals (638), second in assists (2,833) and the leader in three-point field goals made (628). While in New Orleans, Holiday helped lead the Pelicans to two playoff appearances in 2015 and 2018, was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2018 and Second Team in 2019, and was the recipient of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award this past season.
Cheatham, 6-5, 220, spent his rookie season as a two-way player for New Orleans after going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, appearing in four games with the Pelicans. Cheatham played in 34 games for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League last season, averaging 16.3 points on .530 shooting from the field, 11.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals.
Gray, 6-0, 180, was a two-way player for New Orleans last season, appearing in two games with the Pelicans. The LSU product appeared in 37 games with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League, averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.3 steals.
Miller, 6-6, 225, missed the 2019-20 season after recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The University of Kentucky product has appeared in 253 career regular season games, all with New Orleans, holding averages of 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In 2018-19, Miller appeared in 69 games, posting averages of 8.2 points (career-high), 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. In addition to his NBA experience, Miller has also played overseas in Germany, where he won three consecutive German League championships with Brose Bamberg from 2015-17.
Williams, 6-6, 210, appeared in 85 games for New Orleans from 2018-20, averaging 4.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. In 2019-20, the TCU product appeared in 39 games for the Pelicans, averaging 3.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Merrill, 6-5, 205, completed a four-year collegiate career at Utah State, appearing in 131 career games, averaging 16.8 points while shooting .420 from three-point range, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals. Most recently, Merrill appeared in 32 games during his 2019-20 senior campaign, averaging 19.7 points while shooting .410 from three-point range, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists, while earning All-Mountain West First Team honors.
Pelicans reportedly trading Jrue Holiday to Bucks
The Bucks are about to upgrade their backcourt. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
The New Orleans Pelicans are trading the star two-way guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The move largely completes the transition from the team’s last playoff run in the 2018. Star big man Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers in 2019, and previous coach Alvin Gentry was fired in August.
Now that Holiday has been sent north, the lone player from the roster that swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs in 2018 still under contract is Darius Miller, who missed the entirety of last season with an Achilles injury.
Three first round picks? That’s a lot for the Bucks to give up.
For the Pelicans last season, Holiday averaged 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. For the Bucks last season, Bledsoe put up 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while Hill off the bench averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Heat look good in Game 1 playoff win vs Bucks
The Heat were impressive yesterday, taking a 1-0 series lead against a Bucks squad that was missing starting guard Eric Bledsoe but was otherwise at relatively full strength. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting:
Even before the start of the Miami Heat’s playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, it had already become a popular take.
The Heat matches up well against the Bucks.
Top-seeded Milwaukee did little to disprove that thinking in an 11-point loss to fifth-seeded Miami on Monday in Game 1 of their second-round series. The Heat is the first team to defeat the Bucks three times this season, as Miami also posted a 2-1 record against Milwaukee in the regular season.
The Heat is one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in the NBA and the Bucks’ defense allowed the most three-point attempts in the league in the regular season. That’s certainly part of Miami’s perceived matchup advantage, with Game 2 of their best-of-7 series set for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
The Bucks rely so heavily on production from Giannis Antetokounmpo that any team that can limit him even a little has a shot to win.
And while Giannis did put up 10 points and nine assists in Game 1, he scored a modest 18 points, and also committed six turnovers. While in the win for the Heat, Jimmy Butler was stellar, scoring 40.
Bledsoe’s status for Game 2 is not yet known.
Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe out a few weeks with leg injury
Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe sustained a right leg injury during Friday night’s 127-114 road win against the Grizzlies in Memphis.
An MRI and subsequent examination revealed that Bledsoe’s injury is a right fibula avulsion fracture.
Bledsoe is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Bledsoe was hurt in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 127-114 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis on Friday night. He tried to sneak behind Grizzlies center Jonas Valunciunas for a steal, but ran into teammate Wesley Matthews. Both players hit the floor, but Bledsoe went back to the locker room and didn’t return.”
In 26 games (all starts) for the Bucks this season, Bledsoe is averaging 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 5.7 assists in 26.6 minutes per game.
Eric Bledsoe suffers torn meniscus in left knee
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe has sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee. The injury occurred during last night’s game against Philadelphia and a subsequent MRI revealed the tear.
Bledsoe will undergo surgery Tuesday, December 29. The surgery will be performed by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Carter.
The sixth-year guard is averaging career-highs of 20.4 points, 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals, in addition to 4.0 rebounds and 34.2 minutes in 31 games this season, his third with the Suns.
Suns guard Eric Bledsoe out indefinitely after knee surgery
|
Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe today underwent successful arthroscopic surgery involving meniscus cartilage in his right knee, the team has announced.
The surgery was performed in Phoenix by renowned Suns team doctor and knee surgeon Thomas Carter. Bledsoe will immediately begin a recovery and rehabilitation program and will pursue a possible return to action during the second half of this NBA season.
Bledsoe has averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 24 games this season, his first with the Suns.
According to the Associated Press, “Bledsoe was having the finest season of his career after being acquired by the Suns from the Los Angeles Clippers in the offseason, averaging 18 points and 5.8 assists per game. He and Goran Dragic formed the double-point guard backcourt that had been the catalyst of the Suns’ surprising start to the season. This is the second time in a little over three years that the 24-year-old player has undergone surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the same knee. The first surgery was performed Oct. 7, 2011, during the NBA lockout of that season.”
According to Arizona Sports, “the Suns engaged with Bledsoe on extension talks but couldn’t reach an agreement before the NBA’s Nov. 1 deadline, though that seemed like the right move for Phoenix at the time because it could see Bledsoe’s production as the team’s centerpiece before committing to a major contract. But now the team may be burdened with the decision to match a maximum contract offer to Bledsoe despite the fact that he’s coming off a major injury.”
Phoenix Suns, Eric Bledsoe discussing contract extension
|
The Phoenix Suns are currently in talks with newly acquired guard Eric Bledsoe on a long-term contract extension. If the two sides can’t reach a deal by the end of the month, the 23-year-old combo guard would become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Suns are in an interesting spot because they’ve only seen the Kentucky product in training camp and a few preseason games, and it’s still uncertain that he will become the star many project him to be.
Nonetheless, general manager Ryan McDonough, while on Arizona Sports 620’s Burns & Gambo show Wednesday, agreed that Bledsoe does figure into the team’s long-term plans. McDonough said contract talks with the fourth-year player have gone “pretty well” to this point.
Reported by Andrew Gilstrap of Arizona Sports