Before Austin Rivers signed with their team in late 2018, he wasn’t a fan favorite in Houston. The Rockets and Rivers’ Clippers had become rivals during an intense seven-game playoff series in 2015, and he was known best as a Duke product and the son of Los Angeles’ famous head coach.
But once Rivers became a Rocket and regularly sang the praises of the team, its fans, and the surrounding city, it all changed in a hurry.
While Rivers is no longer in Houston after signing a three-year deal in free agency with the New York Knicks, his two seasons with the Rockets were quite memorable. Early Monday, he took to Twitter to reflect:
Appreciated my time in Houston. Truly amazing experience. Loved the city and the people. Thank you for having my family.
The Rockets finished No. 4 in the Western Conference in both of Rivers’ seasons, with each concluding in the second round of the playoffs.
Appreciated my time in Houston. Truly amazing experience. Loved the city and the people. Thank you for having my and family.
— Austin Rivers (@AustinRivers25) November 23, 2020
During those two years in Houston, Rivers averaged 8.7 points (34.0% on 3-pointers) and 2.3 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. Now 28 years old, the 6-foot-4 guard was also valued off the bench for his on-ball defense, and he was respected as a veteran leader in Houston’s locker room.
With the Rockets subject to a hard salary cap after the sign-and-trade acquisition of Christian Wood, they were very limited in what they could monetarily offer Rivers this offseason. Thus, the Knicks — with plenty of salary cap room — had a financial advantage and were able to offer a deal worth up to $10 million over three years. They were also able to provide a larger on-court role, since New York doesn’t have established guards in place like Houston’s Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Update on Rivers' contract: Three years, $10M, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/mfOQ2XIne7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 23, 2020
Furthermore, there are numerous family ties for Rivers with the Knicks (where Doc Rivers played from 1992 until 1995) and the Northeast region. Doc will be coaching next season in Philadelphia, which is under 100 miles away, and Austin’s sister, Callie, will also reside in Philadelphia after the recent trade of her husband (Seth Curry) from Dallas to the 76ers.
Between those factors and more money, Austin is probably quite pleased with how his personal free agency turned out. However, it seems clear that he will still look back on his years in Houston quite fondly.
[lawrence-related id=13579,29264]