Report: Austin Rivers may have pre-draft "promise"

Austin Rivers is headed to the NBA next season. (Streeter Lecka, Getty Images) As his father Doc coaches the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals,

Austin Rivers is headed to the NBA next season. (Streeter Lecka, Getty Images)

As his father Doc coaches the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, former Duke guard Austin Rivers may have a good idea of where he'll be playing in the NBA next season. According to a report from Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears, Rivers has been told that one of the teams in a late lottery position has promised to draft Rivers if he is still available.

One NBA assistant coach said he was surprised Austin Rivers didn’t work out at the NBA's predraft combine here Thursday. The East scout expects Rivers to be selected in the Nos. 10-20 range, but an NBA source told Yahoo! Sports that Rivers has a promise late in the draft lottery. The Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets plan to work out Rivers.

Considered the nation's #1 recruit coming out of high school, Rivers played one season with the Duke Blue Devils before declaring for the NBA Draft.