10:22pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Clippers.
As first reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic and confirmed by the Rockets, the swap rights Houston got in the deal are top-six protected. So in the unlikely event that the Thunder’s and Clippers’ picks both land in the top six, the Rockets won’t be able to swap the Bucks’ first-rounder for the least favorable of those two picks.
The Rockets also confirmed that they’ve waived Boban Marjanovic to accommodate the extra incoming player in the deal. They’re expected to re-sign him once he clears waivers and Wall is released.
Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) has the details on the three second-round picks the Clippers acquired from the Grizzlies. They are as follows:
- The Raptors’ 2024 second-round pick.
- Either the Pacers’ 2024 second-round pick or the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Jazz’s 2024 second-round picks (whichever is most favorable).
- The Grizzlies’ 2027 second-round pick.
1:20pm: The Clippers have reached an agreement to acquire veteran wing Eric Gordon from the Rockets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
According to Charania, the move will be part of a three-team deal that sends Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies, with Clippers guard John Wall headed back to Houston (Twitter links). The Rockets plan to waive Wall, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
Danny Green will be sent from Memphis to Houston in the trade, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Clippers are getting three second-round picks from the Grizzlies. The Rockets will also acquire the right to swap this year’s Bucks first-round pick with the Clippers’ first-rounder (or the Thunder’s first-rounder, if the Clippers pick is earlier in the draft), tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
It’s an interesting trade from all sides. The Clippers have needed a guard who could drive and shoot from outside while playing decent defense, and Gordon fits that bill when he’s playing well. Gordon has been in trade rumors for years, and now he’s headed back to the Clippers, who drafted him seventh overall back in 2008.
While the Clippers took a risk by potentially losing their own first-round pick, they’ll still be guaranteed to receive the Bucks’ first-rounder and will also get three second-rounders from Memphis, which isn’t bad at all considering they arguably got the best player in the trade. Gordon, 34, makes $19.57MM this season, but his $20.92MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.
The Rockets had long been looking for a first-round pick for Gordon, and they’re essentially swapping Milwaukee’s potential late first-round pick (it would be 28th right now) for one with higher upside — the Clippers’ would be 18th right now. The Bucks (37-17) are currently six games ahead of the Clippers (31-27), but there’s still 20-plus games remaining for both teams.
Green has been one of the NBA’s best 3-and-D wings for the better part of a decade, winning three championships with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers. He holds a 39.9% career mark from behind the arc, but he’s 35 years old and just made his season debut this month after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in last year’s playoffs. Green will be a free agent this summer.
Wall temporarily heading back to Houston after his troubled tenure with the Rockets is an ironic twist, as he’ll be waived by the same team that bought him out in the offseason — that’s how he signed with L.A. in the first place. He didn’t find much success with the Clippers, posting a poor shooting slash line of .408/.303/.681 for a team hoping to contend.
The Grizzlies rank just 24th in the league in 3-point percentage and get one of the league’s best shooters in the 26-year-old Kennard, who holds a career mark of 42.7% on 3s, including 44.7% this season. He is not a strong defensive player, but he’s a decent complementary play-maker.
Dealing away three second-rounders for a player who is nine years younger and on a reasonable long-term contract that will pay him about $45.2MM through 2025 (the final year is a team option) makes sense. Green is a very good, albeit streaker shooter, but Kennard is elite in that regard.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Lol I feel bad for wall he get waive than sign than traded back to a team that just waive him and will be waive again
Money First
I don’t care waive, waive and waive
John wall getting another “coming home” moment
Good News! Westbrook doesn’t have to sell his house
Wall will catch on with somebody. This isn’t a drumming him out of the league type event, but Westbrook is almost guaranteed to be a Clip now.
Like Kennard with the Grizzlies too, they can use some bench scoring pop
Gordon, a Clipper again!
Kennard is a great pick-up for the Grizzlies considering their lack of wing depth before. Not sure I get it from the Clippers side…understand moving on from Wall but Kennard had been a great shooter in his time there.
He is a great shooter but hesitates too much and sometimes is scared to shoot.
Is Danny green back healthy and playing good ?
He hasn’t been good in 5 years
I thought there was a rule this trade deadline that at least 3 2nd round picks had to be included..by someone..to complete a deal. Er no?
Never heard of that.
Does this trade help the Clippers at all? Kennard is a pure sniper, but Eric Gordon is worse at defense and a less good shooter. He can still attack to rim, but they already have Norman Powell for that.
Nope. They should have kept reggie and kennard. They are really gonna miss there shooting from them. Eric Gordon is already in the declining stage and his been starting for the rockets and his number doesn’t look outstanding. Bones is inconsistent offensively. Mason Plumlee is probably the good thing out of this trade
I have to question this for Memphis…
The clippers getting Gordon made sense for his skillset and the defenders around him, but they also just did something similar for much cheaper with the Hyland deal….
That being said obviously they moved off Lennards contract which was big, and they can have Hyland for that role next year when Gordon leaves as a FA
John wall is on the Kemba Walker tour.
Very hopeful Wall ends up in Charlotte. If Mia misses out on Russ, maybe Wall goes there….. Memphis adding Luke as a lefty/bench version of Bane & Houston moving up 5-10 spots in this draft are really nice moves but former Clipper great EJ goin back to Cali along with Bones (& prob Russ) just rly rly strengthens them as contenders. Luke is a rly good player but EJ is better defensively, craftier offensively & more reliable overall
LAC (Lue) never used Kennard consistent with his actual skill set. Lue wanted JJ Redick. He had a better all around player, but not in the roles Lue had him in. Of course, he may have been catering to his stars.
Gordon must be psyched, finally gets to play meaningful minutes again.
Green reported going to clippers not Houston
John Wall is really gonna get released by the same team twice in one year…
Of all the guys on that 2009 UNC championship team, who had Danny Green being a somewhat relevant NBA player more than a dozen years later?
JW2DC?
Bad move for grizzlies. What is the GM doing this last year . F-
Should of kept Anderson. Not draft those two bums. Draft a young center and find another SF prospect and Now trade away Green who has championship experience. Not winning moves. Old penny pinching grizzlies