Austin Rivers
2018-19 was a tough year for Austin Rivers. After starting the season with the Washington Wizards, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns with Kelly Oubre Jr. for Trevor Ariza. He was waived a day later before being signed by the Houston Rockets last December.
He was given ample opportunity to perform in Houston while averaging 28.6 minutes per game, his most since his career-best season in 2017-18. Unfortunately, he did not come close to matching his offensive numbers of the past.
I think Austin Rivers is the first to re-sign after the dust settles from the first wave of deals. https://t.co/qKd01TNzLH
— House Of Houston (@HouseOfHouston) June 29, 2019
On the flip side, Rivers’ defense is getting better with age and he looked good last season. As he makes the transition to figuring out his full-time role in the NBA, the Rockets have a chance to take advantage.
Rivers’ price tag is low. While the Rockets could unload their expensive contracts to try and rebuild, signing a cheap, experienced and improving player could be what works. He had a cap hit of under a million, which made him well worth the cost.
Spending what may be considered market value could be unattractive for the Rockets. With that said, unless Rivers wants to stay in Houston, there is a good chance a bad team will pay more for his services.
Verdict: Sell