NBA Free Agency Rumors: Austin Rivers re-signs with Clippers

Free agent backup point guard Austin Rivers has decided to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers, as the NBA veteran has agreed to a three-year deal to stay.

According to Orange County Register’s Dan Woike, the Los Angeles Clippers have re-signed free agent backup point guard Austin Rivers to a three-year deal.

Rivers was a former lottery pick by the New Orleans Pelicans after one year of college ball with the Duke Blue Devils. He was nearly out of the league before coming to Los Angeles to play on the team his father Doc Rivers coaches.

While the Rivers Family took a ton of flak for the father/son pairing in Los Angeles after Austin was clearly failing as a player with the Pelicans, he has since carved out a crucial role as a strong backup point guard for Chris Paul with the Clippers.

Rivers came on in the 2015 Western Conference Playoffs as largely the Clippers’ best reserve in that playoff run. He became a better player in 2015-16 and earned a lot of people’s respect for how hard he competed in the Clippers’ first-round series with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Los Angeles had lost both Paul and power forward to season-ending injuries within a day’s time. Rivers played the last two games of the series with a ghastly black eye, having to start in place of Paul at point guard.

Though Los Angeles fell to Portland in Game 6 at the Moda Center, it was no fault to Rivers’ on-court effort. Since joining the Clippers, he has revitalized his career and might be one of the best backup point guards in the game today. He’s earned a respectable three-year deal with the Clippers.

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