The Houston Rockets should make it a top priority this offseason to ensure that Austin Rivers sticks around for the 2020-2021 season.
The Houston Rockets have been attempting to put together a championship roster centered around James Harden, the eight-time All-Star and 2017-2018 MVP, for years by bringing in other superstars like Chirs Paul and Russell Westbrook and key role players like Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker. But arguably the most undervalued and unsung hero for Houston over the past two seasons has been Austin Rivers, who has played a key role off the bench for the Rockets.
Rivers, who the Rockets acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards in the middle of the 2018-2019 season, was averaging 8.5 points, 1.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game this season off the bench before the NBA season came to an abrupt halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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While these numbers do not jump off the page, you have to take into account that he plays alongside Harden and Westbrook who rank number two and three in the league in field goal attempts per game and rank one and two in isolation possessions per game. So when taking into account the circumstances, Rivers’ production has been impressive.
Rivers is a perfect fit for the Rockets’ offensive system because of his versatility to play either the point guard or shooting guard position and his ability to knock down the 3-ball, as he’s shooting 35.8 percent from 3-point range this season.
Rivers can effectively run the point guard position when Harden and Westbrook are on the bench as he is good at getting to the rim and either finishing or kicking it out to an open teammate. On the other hand, when on the court with Harden and/or Westbrook Rivers finds the open space on the floor and transforms into a fairly reliable spot-up shooter.
Defensively, Rivers is a good, but not elite, defender who is best when put one-one situations. Rivers’ quickness allows him to stay in front of his man and he does a nice job of limiting his opponents’ scoring when guarding one-on-one.
While no one knows if or when this year’s NBA season will resume, Rivers has played a key role in the Rockets’ success during his time in Houston and is definitely someone the Rockets should keep around for at least another year or two.
Rivers is currently slated to make just over $2 million next season but has the option to opt-out of his contract and become a free agent. There is no indication whether or not Rivers will opt out of his contract or not, but I think it is safe to say that he could easily make more than $2 million if he does.
Therefore, it is very important for general manager Daryl Morey to try and convince Rivers to remain with the Houston Rockets next season under his current contract or try to craft a deal that keeps Rivers in Houston for at least another year and possibly even longer.
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