Eric Gordon to Clippers, Luke Kennard to Grizzlies, John Wall to Rockets in three-team deal, per report

The Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers have completed a trade involving Eric Gordon, Luke Kennard, John Wall and Danny Green, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon and The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Here’s the breakdown:

Grizzlies receive: Luke Kennard (from Clippers)

Clippers receive: Eric Gordon (from Rockets), three second-round picks (from Grizzlies)

Rockets receive: John Wall (from Clippers), Danny Green (from Grizzlies) 2023 first-round pick swap (from Clippers*)

*The pick swap applies to the 2023 Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick that Houston owns. It effectively means that the Rockets will get to use the Clippers’ first-rounder instead of the Bucks’ this June. 

In a separate move, the Clippers acquired Bones Hyland from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for two second-round picks. This trade means that they effectively gained a second-round pick to turn Kennard and Wall into Gordon and Hyland (and downgrade their 2023 first-round pick because of the swap). 

Gordon 34, returns to the franchise that drafted him him No. 7 overall in 2008. He spent the first three years of his career in Los Angeles, and, while his downhill drives don’t have the same force as they did back then, he should fit right into the Clippers’ switch-heavy defensive scheme. Los Angeles essentially called off the Wall experiment, added another two-way wing and made a bet on Hyland’s upside, sacrificing Luke Kennard’s shooting in the process. 

Kennard has made 47.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s this season. That should be enormously helpful for a Grizzlies team that has needed more shooting for years and is heavily dependent on offensive rebounds and transition play. Their halfcourt offense will benefit from the fact that he’s not just a spot-up guy — Kennard can shoot on the move and be a secondary playmaker, too. As much as Memphis might have valued the 35-year-old Green in the locker room, it decided not to pass up an opportunity to grab a 26-year-old player who complements its core and is signed for two seasons after this one. 

Houston is rebuilding, but has held onto Gordon for years. It did not end up getting a first-round pick for him, but at least it got the pick swap. Do not expect Wall or Green to stick around beyond this season, if they even stay that long.