Atlanta Hawks: 4 Potential Point Guard Targets At NBA Trade Deadline
By Adam McGee
Austin Rivers
With trade rumors swirling around the Los Angeles Clippers, one player who is believed to be widely available is point guard Austin Rivers.
Former Hawk, Clippers head coach and president of basketball operations, and Austin Rivers’ father, Doc Rivers recently stated that he’d have no problem trading his son, and that was a sentiment that was shared by Austin who affirmed that it’s “business first”.
Once the source of jokes about nepotism, the younger Rivers has proven himself to be a legitimately skilled and competent NBA point guard of late. For the current season, the 24-year-old is averaging 12.2 points and 3.0 assists, while shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc.
With good size for the position, although Rivers isn’t skilled enough to be a starting point guard in the league, his role as a worthy backup can no longer be disputed. On current production, Rivers would step in ahead of Delaney on Atlanta’s bench and offer up a more varied option.
Having signed a new three-year deal last summer, Rivers’ contract certainly doesn’t come cheap at $11 million this year and $11.8 next season, but with a player option for the third year he could become an expiring next season.
Next: Atlanta Hawks: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline Outlook
The fit would be interesting for Atlanta, but the contract will have to provide some degree of trepidation.