The Boston Celtics don't have a full roster yet, and a familiar name is hoping they'll save him a spot. Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers is currently an unrestricted free agent, but at 31 years old he still has something to offer.
Rivers, the son of coach Doc Rivers, is very familiar with the Celtics organization. Although he was just a teenager when his father helped lead the C's to a championship in 2008, it seems like he's been keeping tabs on Boston and its staff.
In fact, Rivers spoke glowingly of Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, per The Bill Simmons Podcast. He's even recently chatted with the former Celtics coach and discussed a potential contract.
“I had a great talk with Brad actually like a week ago,” Austin Rivers said. “I told him I'd love to be a part of the team. He said a lot of positive things. We'll see if that's something that will come to fruition. I've always loved Brad. I've always been a fan of him.”
As of now, there isn't a ton of room on the roster for Rivers. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Malcolm Brogdon are all guards who would likely be ahead of him on the depth chart. However, if Brogdon's injury issues don't improve, perhaps Rivers could fill in for him at the start of the season.
In Minnesota, Austin Rivers played in 52 games and averaged 19.5 minutes and 4.9 points per outing. While those statistics are nothing special, he can still shoot at a decent clip, and with his veteran status he might be more open to a role at the end of the bench.
It seems a little unlikely that the Duke product will end up joining the C's, but regardless, it's clear he has respect for what Stevens is trying to build in Boston.
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