Brian Westerholt/Associated PressAdrian Wojnarowski, ESPN reports that the New Orleans Pelicans have reached an agreement to trade veteran Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe for the Memphis Grizzlies.Memphis will also be receiving picks No. 10, and No. 40 in the 2021 NBA Draft as well as the protected 2022 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that Memphis' 2022 first-rounder will be protected.New Orleans will be No. 17 and No. 51 overall picks in Thursday’s draft, as well as center Jonas Valanciunas.According to Chris Haynes from Yahoo Sports, Bledsoe will not be staying with the Grizzlies.Wojnarowski offered some reasons for the Pelicans to make the change:After being traded to New Orleans in November as part of the 4-team Jrue Holiday Trade, Bledsoe spent 2020-21 with the Pelicans. In his worst season for nearly a decade, he averaged 12.2 points and 3.4 rebounds. He also had 3.8 assists. Adams struggled to average 7.6 points per game and 8.9 rebound per game since he was transferred from the Oklahoma City Thunder.After only one season, the Pelicans were one of the NBA's most disappointing teams in 2020-21. Stan Van Gundy was fired and the roster was retooled around Zion Williamson.Bledsoe will be owed $18.1 million for next season. However, only $3.9million of his $19.4million salary for 2022-22-23 is guaranteed. Adams owes more than $17million in each of his next two years.Bledsoe's performance last season was a sign of his decline. He lost the "Mini LeBron", nickname that referred to his explosiveness on both ends. Bledsoe shot nearly half his shots from beyond the 3-point arc. This wouldn't have been an issue if Bledsoe was a 33.7 percent career shooter from far.The Pelicans had difficulty with spacing. This was partly due to teams not respecting Bledsoe’s jumper and also hindered his ability get to the rim. New Orleans was outscored by 1.3% per 100 possessions when Bledsoe was on the floor, and by 1.3 points per cent with Bledsoe sitting on the bench.After scoring 17.1 points per games last season, Valanciunas needs to provide more offensive assistance. He also set a personal record with 12.5 rebounds per match, which is third in the NBA.New Orleans will be looking to reload its young stars. Memphis, however, adds two veterans for a low cost with the hope that they will bounce back in 2021-22. As the team seeks to climb the Western Conference standings, the draft capital will be a huge help.
