After the failed three-team trade between the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns, Austin Rivers' future was still uncertain. Memphis was later cut out of the deal and Washington sent Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers to Phoenix for Trevor Ariza.

In an interesting twist, reports indicated that the Grizzlies would sign Austin Rivers following his buyout with the Suns. However, according to Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian, those reports appeared to be premature.

“Contrary to today's reports, a source with knowledge of the negotiation tells The Daily Memphian that while the Grizzlies considered the matter, the team is not signing Rivers. Unlike on Friday night, when early reporting seemed to reveal some internal confusion among the NBA teams involved in a proposed transaction, this seems merely to be a case of a premature report.”

This puts a halt to the idea that Rivers will come into Memphis and help solidify their backcourt. It would have been a good fit for both sides, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen anymore.

Rivers wants to play for a team contending for the playoffs and for Memphis, Rivers could have been a serviceable backup for Mike Conley. In Monday night's brutal loss to the Golden State Warriors, Shelvin Mack and Jevon Carter filled in for the injured Conley but were no match for Golden State's backcourt.

Of course, not every team will trot out Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson every night, but having Rivers would have helped mitigate some of the damage done by the Splash Bros.