Clippers Trade Austin Rivers For Marcin Gortat

By Connor Aylward
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Updated: June 26, 2018

Leaving last Thursday’s NBA draft with two guards, it was clear the Los Angeles Clippers needed to clear some space for their newly acquired players.

It appears the team started to make some room for those rookies Tuesday night, although they got rid of a player many thought was off-limits.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading guard Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2018

Austin Rivers has been with the Clippers since then General Manager Doc Rivers traded for the guard before the 2015 trade deadline. Rivers improved every season with the club, finishing last season with a career high in points (15.1), steals (1.2), assists (4.0), rebounds (2.4) and three point percentage (.378).

Rivers had become a Clippers fan favorite with his hustle and that was never more clear than a playoff series back in 2016 against the Portland Trailblazers. In short, Rivers looked like he took a check into the boards face first rather than played in a basketball game. But being the fighter he is, Rivers returned to the game and finished with 21 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

Just this week Rivers informed the team that he intended to come back next season on his $12.1 million player option. Many believed he would play out the season and be given a new contract by the team. Washington will be getting a quality player in Rivers, at just 25 years old he still has plenty of years left in him to improve and take his game to the next level.

In return for Rivers, Los Angeles got Center Marcin Gortat. Gortat, 34, is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $13.5 million. Gortat’s play has been steadily declining over the last few seasons, averaging 8.4 points, 0.7 blocks, and 7.6 rebounds per game last season.

Trading for Gortat does give the Clippers a veteran backup plan however if the team’s current Center DeAndre Jordan decides his time in Los Angeles is up by the deadline this Friday. With rumors swirling of a potential sign and trade or Jordan just declining his player option and skipping town, this insurance policy was one the team needed with few options available to them at Center.

It should be interesting to see what more moves the team continues to make as they still are a bit too guard heavy and lacking in size in the frontcourt.

Best of luck to Austin Rivers with the Wizards and Clipper Nation let’s welcome Marcin Gortat!

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