Celtics Reportedly Show Interest in Signing Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers averaged a tick under five points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19.5 minutes per game with the Timberwolves last season.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

With 14 full-time spots occupied and JD Davison and Jay Scrubb signed to two-way deals, leaving one more vacancy for such a contract, the Celtics roster's mostly set.

As the franchise works on applying the finishing touches ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, which might only mean adding another player on a two-way deal, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reports the Celtics have shown interest in signing Austin Rivers, who's looking for more than a mentor role.

The former Duke Blue Devil earned a mention while evaluating Boston's best remaining options in free agency. The six-foot-four combo guard would provide the team his father, Doc Rivers, coached to an NBA title in 2008, with another ball handler, and he can also play off someone acting as the floor general.

Rivers averaged a tick under five points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19.5 minutes per game in 52 tilts with the Timberwolves last season. He also made 35 percent of his 2.4 attempts from three-point range.

It's also worth noting that signing players with at least three years of NBA experience only counts slightly north of $2 million against a team's cap space. So, even though Rivers has 11 years of NBA service time, meaning a veteran minimum contract for him would exceed $3 million, the Celtics, $3.4 million under the second apron, per Spotrac, could bring him on board without it being as tight of a squeeze to avoid crossing that threshold.

Of course, Boston could create more breathing room by waiving Justin Champagnie or, less likely, Luke Kornet, who are on non-guaranteed contracts.

As for Rivers, while the soon-to-be 31-year-old wants more of a role than he'd have with the Celtics, the market could push him to Boston, where he'd provide a quality layer of depth behind Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Payton Pritchard.

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