NBA Trade Rumors: Austin Rivers likely trade target of title contenders

Austin Rivers may be the odd man out on the New York Knicks after the reported Derrick Rose trade.

Though the Knicks traded away one of their playmakers to the Detroit Pistons, there’s still a logjam at point guard, as Elfrid Payton, Immanuel Quickley, Frank Ntilikina and Austin Rivers are also on the team.

Rose will be their fifth, but if NBA trade rumors turn out to be true, Rivers could be on his way out soon.

Austin Rivers is likely to become a player that contenders seek in trade talks, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/8ZP0rzG2ki

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 7, 2021

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Rivers is a name that could be in trade talks moving forward.

“Rivers is likely to become a player whom contenders seek in trade talks as teams look to fortify backcourts closer to the March 25 trade deadline,” Wojnarowski wrote.

Though Austin Rivers (6' 4") can also play shooting guard, as he is taller than most of the league’s playmakers he’s likely going to get lost in the rotation with Rose now on the Knicks.

Quickley is listed as a shooting guard on ESPN, but his natural position in the NBA is at point guard.

NBA Trade Rumors: Potential suitors for Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers (#8) of the New York Knicks

As NBA trade rumors heat up in the coming weeks, Austin Rivers will be among the favorites to land on a title contender ahead of the NBA’s March 25 trade deadline.

Rivers has bounced around different teams in the past few years, and there will be no shortage of suitors for the veteran guard this time too.

Any of the championship hopefuls could be among his suitors, which includes the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers are an intriguing option, as Austin Rivers could play for his father once again. Though their head coach Doc Rivers discouraged his son from joining the Sixers in the off-season, an opportunity to bolster the team's bench might be too tempting for the front office.

Another possibility that could create plenty of discussions would be a trade to the LA Clippers, where the younger Rivers spent a number of years playing for his dad. With Doc Rivers now with the Sixers, Austin Rivers will be free from the father-son issues that plagued them years ago if he gets dealt to the Clippers.

NBA Trade Rumors: A trade for Derrick Rose doesn’t work with Austin Rivers around

The reported Derrick-Rose-for-Dennis-Smith-Jr. swap is a potential disaster on paper if the New York Knicks don’t deal Austin Rivers to another squad.

According to recent NBA trade rumors from Wojnarowski, the Knicks acquired Derrick Rose in exchange for Smith and a 2021 second-round draft pick from the Charlotte Hornets.

This is an incredibly pretty finish by Austin Rivers pic.twitter.com/Op52UFfeEs

— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) January 31, 2021

There are too many point guards on the Knicks that the veterans may find it hard to coexist both on the court and in the locker room. Just a quick look at their season stats suggests that Derrick Rose could be inserted into a game earlier than Austin Rivers

Rivers is averaging 8.2 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field, to go with 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Rose, meanwhile, is putting up 14.2 points and 4.2 assists a night.

Austin Rivers could likely lose plenty of playing time with the Rose acquisition.