Austin Rivers traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Washington
IN a brutally cold-blooded move, the Los Angeles Clippers have shipped out their coach’s son for a past his prime veteran.
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THE Los Angeles Clippers front office have shocked the NBA by engaging in a trade deal with the Washington Wizards.
Washington will send big man Marcin Gortat to the Clippers in exchange for Austin Rivers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Rivers, the son of head coach Doc, has been a contentious figure in Los Angeles since he was traded there in 2015.
He did not get along with former Clippers superstar Chris Paul, who blamed Doc for not being willing to trade his child.
Doc was the catalyst behind the trade to bring his son to Los Angeles, but last season he lost some of his power, and Jerry West and Lawrence Frank are now in control — and were free to trade Austin Rivers.
Last season Austin averaged 15.1 points and four assists per game.
The move is the latest in a complete overhaul of the roster by the Clippers who last season sent power forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons.
Chris Paul left the organisation prior to the 2017/18 season as he joined MVP winner James Harden in Houston as a member of the Rockets.
Rivers’ trade looks to have opened a door for further moves from the Clippers with current big man DeAndre Jordan looming as a trade target.
But it was the splitting up of Austin from his father Doc which left social media in raptures.
*Austin rivers doesn’t get Doc a Father’s Day gift*
— Stri:(a (@StrikaNation24_) June 26, 2018
Nine days later: pic.twitter.com/VTG8IDVI3y
Austin Rivers traded to the #Wizards....How awkward is this Thanksgiving gonna be 😬 #DaddyDontTradeMe
— Jorge Andrés (@IBThatRaspOnTV) June 26, 2018
Austin Rivers has just one question after being traded. pic.twitter.com/WmVqdqMYek
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) June 26, 2018
Confirming Clippers trade Austin Rivers to Washington for Marcin Gortat. There were some who thought a day like this would never come so long as Doc was still there. ESPN first reported.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 26, 2018
Doc Rivers trying to stop the Austin Rivers trade like... pic.twitter.com/wjzuenv8qM
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) June 27, 2018
Austin Rivers’ parting message to Doc pic.twitter.com/1u06ISUmMC
— Jon Hamm (@JonMHamm) June 26, 2018
Gortat was at the centre of the John Wall debate last year, when Washington, at least initially, played better when its star point guard was hurt. Gortat implied the Wizards played as a “team” without Wall, who didn’t appreciate the comments.
Gortat, who’s been around the league since 2007 and had been in Washington since 2013, is a 6-foot-11 centre from Poland. Last year he averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game.
With superstar names LeBron James and Paul George on the market when Free Agency opens on Sunday, the Clippers are preparing to bolster their stocks.
San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard also looks set to depart and the Los Angeles native could be a key target for the Clippers organisation.
— with NY Post.
Originally published as Austin Rivers traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Washington