Since being drafted with a top ten selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, Austin Rivers has endured a roller coaster first six years as a professional.
Drafted by the then New Orleans Hornets, Rivers was traded this past summer after a four-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers that saw him blossom into a solid role player off the bench. However, this season has been a different story, as Rivers was never able to mesh with his new teammates in Washington and was ultimately traded to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns would go on to waive him, making Rivers a free agent but not for long. According to Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen, Rivers will sign with the Houston Rockets.
Rockets reach agreement to sign guard Austin Rivers, source said.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 23, 2018
With the Rockets limping through the early portions of the season, they have been on the search for backcourt help in recent weeks, first getting Brandon Knight back from injury and now adding Austin Rivers.
Of course, Chris Paul recently suffered another hamstring injury which is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. Adding Rivers should help shore up their depth, though James Harden is likely to slide over into Paul’s point guard position with Eric Gordon being inserted into the starting lineup.
After showing improvements over his time spent with the Clippers under his father and head coach Doc Rivers, Rivers struggled mightily with the Wizards. Rivers ultimately made only 29 appearances with the Wiz including two starts but posted his worst numbers since 2014 and shot sub-40 percent from the field.
Hopefully, a change of scenery is what Rivers needs to regain his confidence, as both he and the Rockets can benefit immensely from this latest transaction. Rivers’ aggressive mindset offensively should fit in well with Houston’s attack, making this a worthwhile flier, especially considering the Rockets’ injury woes.
