JULY 8th, 7:16pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
8:25pm: Rivers’ deal is worth $35.7MM over three years, per Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
JULY 2nd, 7:00pm: Austin Rivers has agreed to re-sign with the Clippers, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $35MM+, according to Dan Woike of the SoCal News Group. There is a player option in the final year of the contract, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
The signing would indicate that the Clippers are out on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes unless they move one of their stars, Shelburne surmises (ESPN Now link). The Clippers met with Durant on Friday in the New York area and they are trying to retain their own free agents, including Jamal Crawford and center Cole Aldrich, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical writes.
“It was tough. But after heavy thinking I decided I wanted to come back. I’m happy with my decision,” Rivers said, per Shelburne.
Rivers met with the Clippers Friday and was also expected to meet to talk to the Knicks and possibly the Trail Blazers, too. Rivers, in a move that was anticipated, opted out of his contract prior to July 1st. The combo guard was set to earn $3,344,106 next season, but with the salary cap’s rise, he was a lock to land a more lucrative – and longer – deal in free agency.
The 23-year-old made 67 appearances for Los Angeles this past season, averaging 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.9 minutes per outing to accompany a shooting line of .438/.335/.681. Rivers, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, has career averages of 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists through 273 contests.
Team president and coach, Doc Rivers, who is Austin’s father, has said that he wants to re-sign as many of the Clippers’ free agents as possible.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hmmmmm … Durant or Rivers ;-) lol
interesting timing, coming right after Horford chose Boston and KD is meeting with Boston….could this indicate KD might end up in Boston, or just coincidental timing, and the Clippers realizing they had no shot?
Also interested to see what the money is here b/c if I’m not mistaken, they were limited in what they could offer him. Perhaps he gave up some money b/c he could always borrow some of that from Dad’s extension he signed last year?
Z, not arguing with you but what correlation is there between horford going to Boston rivers signing and Durant?
the timing of the Clippers realizing they were out on Durant was what I was wondering about.
The only correlation is Rivers signing and Durant most likely not going to the Clippers. The Clips were basically in cap hell before this, they would definetly have to move Griffin now if they want any shot of getting Durant (which puts a wrench in the whole Big 4 plan). I don’t see the correlation of Horford to Boston and Durant to Boston. Horford’s market was starting to tighten and it was a now or never type of thing. I think Boston has the cap space to bring both aboard without any major moves (outside of Johnson/Jerebko being let go). Horford’s signing is more of Boston refusing to strike out again while also trying to add a star to play alongside Durant (if he chooses Boston).
This must mean no Durant. They’d have had to renounce his bird rights to sign KD, and no other way I can see LAC giving Rivers a 3-yr deal
I feel like Rivers got a couple of million more than I would have thought. Was thinking something in the $30-32 million range. Wonder if this could mean they might not be able to keep Jamal Crawford. Also, guess I was wrong about them being limited in what they could give Rivers. For some reason, I remembered reading they didnt have his full bird rights
A little Colangeloism is happening here I think.
the word is Durant would love to play with Horford
He’s a scrub. Thank your dad for this contract.
thank you Daddy! love you Daddy! 3 yrs? lol
I heard Jamal Crawford is going elsewhere
“It was tough. But after heavy thinking I decided I wanted to come back. I’m happy with my decision,” Rivers said, per Shelburne.
How long did he have to think about it? This is a massive overpay. I have a hard time believing any other team would have been willing to give him 3 years or $35+mil.
Have you seen the contracts they are giving out this offseason?
1 second to register the overpay. 1 second to sign name. Real long thought process. Isn’t his dad the GM?
Rivers shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breadth as KD. He resigned with his pops because no one else thinks he’s that good….even in this market.