The retooling New York Knicks added another new face to the roster Friday, bringing guard Austin Rivers on board in a sign-and-trade deal with the Houston Rockets.
The Knicks acquired Rivers, the son of current Philadelphia 76ers head coach and former Knick Doc Rivers, from the Rockets along with the draft rights to guard Sergio Llull and forwards Tadija Dragicevic and Alex Hervelle. The draft rights for Issuf Sanon were sent to Houston.
Terms for the Knicks’ deal for Austin Rivers were not immediately disclosed. The 28-year-old guard averaged 8.8 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Rockets in last year’s shortened campaign, making four starts.
A former first round pick for the then-New Orleans Hornets out of Duke University back in 2012, Rivers has spent most of his career coming off the bench — averaging 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 24.5 minutes per game throughout his NBA career.
Rivers figures to add to the Knicks’ depth in the 2020-21 campaign in a sixth-man role for head coach Tom Thibodeau. He’s the latest newcomer to a squad that’s undergone a tremendous overhaul under the leadership of team president Leon Rose.
