Clippers Free Agency: Should L.A. re-sign Austin Rivers?

Austin Rivers is opting out of his contract for 2016-17 and will test the NBA’s rising market in free agency. Should the Los Angeles Clippers aim to re-sign him?

Austin Rivers has reportedly decided to opt out of his $3.3 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for 2016-17 and will enjoy the opportunity to receive new offers as the NBA salary cap soars to $92 million. Like so many others, he’ll seek fortune that might not have come his way otherwise. Rivers is far from being one of the most talented or most reliable point guards on the market this summer, even with the steps forward he took to develop his game.

A playoff series filled with pure heart to cap off that improvement may have pushed him slightly out of the Clippers’ price range, though, which prompts the question as to whether they should actively look to re-sign him.

For all the hate that’s thrown at Rivers on a constant basis, ranging from the typical “he’s only in the NBA because of his dad,” to “he belongs in the D-League,” it’s easy to forget that he can actually play. It’s what many basketball fans argue. And at times, it may seem true. At least, after being taken as the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Rivers has never come close to cementing himself as a player of that caliber at either guard position.

At point, the issues are most obvious. It’s where Rivers spent 42 percent of his playing time this season according to Basketball Reference, and an average of only 2.4 assists per 36 minutes is a brief indicator that creating for others really ins’t his forte.

He can drive reasonably well, he’s athletic, and he can finish well when he gets to the rim (61.5 percent shooting within three feet), but effective pick-and-rolls or finding open shooters with consistency isn’t where Rivers can be relied upon. Unfortunately for the Clippers, with a second unit that struggles to create much penetration and get effective inside looks, the weakness at point from Rivers isn’t ideal.

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On top of that, Rivers has never been much of an outside shooter to make that forced second unit play style work; he shot a fairly cool 33.5 percent from three this season, making only 1.5 per 36 minutes.

However, the value of Rivers is still clear.

This season, he elevated his defense to a level that no one really saw coming. After Chris Paul, he was probably the Clippers’ best perimeter defender and easily their best defensive guard.

He upped his effort to stick with shooters outside, played aggressively, and used his speed well to stay in front of players on drives and hold them away from easy, uncontested finishes at the rim. With an improved mindset, IQ, and effort level, Rivers forced opponents to shoot 3.6 percent lower than normal on three-point attempts and a highly impressive 4.7 percent worse overall (per NBA.com). His ability to defend tough players from both guard positions is extremely valuable to the Clippers, and the fact it takes pressure and physical strain off 31-year-old Paul is another bonus.

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At the other end of the floor, while Rivers is far from being a dependable scorer, he adds more of a threat as a driver than anyone on the Clippers’ bench, with Jamal Crawford driving for mid-range pull-ups being the other best asset to create shots inside.

With these elements of Rivers’ game in mind and desire to test the market, should the Clippers re-sign Rivers?

Essentially (and unsurprisingly), it comes down to the cost and whether better options can be had at a reasonable price. For the Clippers, more than anyone in the NBA, salary cap is a major restraint this summer, with heavy contracts likely leaving them with less spending money than every other team in the league.

Rivers was set with a $3.3 million player option for 2016-17 and could have made things completely stress-free for the Clippers by staying put. It’s understandable that he wants to better himself financially and search for a bigger role if possible, though, but if he reaches the point where he commands the $5.6 million mid-level exception or anything close or above that sum, Doc needs to let his son go.

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With Cole Aldrich — the sole backup big, and a productive one at that — also opting out of his contract, that exception is too valuable to use on a more expendable player like Rivers, and the Clippers don’t have five or six million spare to use on him.

Nevertheless, Rivers won’t command a huge salary. Deep down, he knows his value won’t have skyrocketed just because of the impressive heart and ability he showed by playing with one eye in Game 6 against Portland. And teams around the league should share this opinion.

Rivers knows the Clippers, he knows L.A., and he’s found far more success here than any other team in his career so far.

No, he doesn’t have an overly emotional father-son bond with Doc, but there are genuine basketball reasons as to why both parties should be interested in making a deal work. If he agrees to a similar contract or minor pay rise, it’s worth keeping him in L.A. The money simply isn’t there to get ambitious with other singings.

However, if Rivers is keen to continue his gradual ascension as a solid role player elsewhere, the Clippers should take this opportunity to spend a little extra and at least try to upgrade their backcourt.

Next: 5 point guards for the Clippers to consider in free agency

For a detailed look at five options to replace Rivers and accompany Paul in the point guard rotation, click here. With guys such as Matthew Dellavedova possibly being within reach on relatively low contracts, the Clippers have a good opportunity to upgrade without shedding too much cap space.