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Los Angeles Clippers: Complete 2018 offseason grades

ByMatt Esposito|
PLAYA VISTA, CA - JUNE 25: Head Coach Doc Rivers Raft Picks Jerome Robinson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with Lawrence Frank look on during the Draft Press Conference at the Clippers Training Facility in Playa Vista, California on June 25, 2018 at Clippers Training Facility. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PLAYA VISTA, CA - JUNE 25: Head Coach Doc Rivers Raft Picks Jerome Robinson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with Lawrence Frank look on during the Draft Press Conference at the Clippers Training Facility in Playa Vista, California on June 25, 2018 at Clippers Training Facility. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
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NBA Trade Grades
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

Trading Austin Rivers

Formerly a YouTube sensation and highly regarded prospect, Austin Rivers has had a perplexing career so far. During his time in Los Angeles, Rivers has caught flak for being a ball-stopping, score-first guard. Recently, however, Rivers has rewritten his narrative. Many fans and pundits see Rivers as a complementary bench piece for the Washington Wizards. So why did the Clippers ship off their coach’s son?

After drafting two guards, the Clippers simply had too many mouths to feed. How could Gilgeous-Alexander and Robinson receive developmental minutes if Rivers was still on the team? He is not good enough to warrant a starting guard spot, and he doesn’t possess the untapped potential to hang on to.

Still, I like Rivers. He is a feisty player who can get your team a bucket, and he has shown the ability to compete hard on the other end. Fortunately, the Clippers got a decent return for Rivers. Kevin O’Connor, also of The Ringer, put it nicely in a tweet from earlier this summer.

As we now know, Marcin Gortat was used to replace DeAndre Jordan. Furthermore, Gortat is on a $13.5 million expiring contract for next season. The Clippers retained their future cap space while getting an excellent screen-setter for their young guards. Gortat’s expiring is what makes this trade particularly valuable for the Clippers.

Grade: A

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