NBA trade grades: Clippers dealing Austin Rivers to Wizards for Marcin Gortat

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for Marcin Gortat. Here are NBA Trade Grades for both sides.

It wouldn’t be June without NBA trade season kicking off, and less than a week after the 2018 NBA Draft, it’s time for the first batch of NBA Trade Grades heading into free agency.

As first reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers will be sending guard Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards in exchange for center Marcin Gortat. As of right now, there are no picks involved in a somewhat surprising swap.

After recently extending head coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers have made the executive decision to move his son after the younger Rivers opted into the remaining year and $12.7 million on his contract. The Wizards, meanwhile, bolster their backcourt depth behind John Wall and Bradley Beal while trading a player who was disgruntled with his role in an increasingly small-ball NBA.

The reason the deal is surprising is it breaks up the first father-son coach-player duo in NBA history, although Doc Rivers is no longer in charge of basketball operations for the Clippers.

Though this trade is a bit of a head-scratcher that accomplishes little for either side, it’s worth taking a look at what the Wizards and Clippers both get out of the deal. Here’s a look at NBA Trade Grades for both teams.