The Celtics nonetheless have a fifteenth roster spot out there with slightly below two weeks earlier than coaching camp opens. With the chance to hitch a championship contender, one participant has taken the initiative to succeed in out to them.
On an look on The Invoice Simmons Podcast, former Minnesota Timberwolf and present free agent Austin Rivers talked about his future within the NBA. After waxing poetic about becoming a member of the Warmth and calling Miami “a dream vacation spot” and his “#1 selection,” he added that he lately lobbed a name into the Celtics entrance workplace.
“I had a fantastic speak with Brad (Stevens) really like every week in the past,” Rivers stated. Simmons talked about the necessity for a defensive guard with the departure of Marcus Good to Memphis.
“That’s why I known as him as a result of I’d like to be part of it. I’d like to be a part of the crew. He stated a whole lot of constructive issues. We’ll see if that’s one thing that involves fruition, however I’ve at all times beloved Brad. I’ve at all times been a fan of him.”
Rivers was infamously a Celtic for lower than a cup of espresso again in 2015. In a month that noticed Danny Ainge swing six trades earlier than the February deadline, one of many offers included aquiring Rivers from New Orleans and three days later, sending him to his dad, Doc Rivers, then head coach of the Clippers for a second spherical decide.
The veteran looks like an apparent match within the rotation as a ninth or tenth man. Final month, CelticsBlog’s Mark Aboyoun wrote about probably signing the 31-year-old after The Globe’s Gary Washburn reported that the Celtics was curious about bringing him to Boston:
The previous Blue Satan is coming into his twelfth season within the league after being the tenth decide within the 2012 draft. Rivers, who was recognized for his offensive prowess in highschool and school, is now extra of an on-ball, defense-first participant.
In 52 video games with the Timberwolves final season, Rivers had a defensive score of 117.4. With the lack of Good, Mazzulla could consider bringing in a veteran who may help bolster the backcourt and bridge the defensive hole left by Good.
Along with that ultimate roster spot, the Celtics have three non-guaranteed contracts to contemplate earlier than Opening Evening: Luke Kornet, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Dalano Banton. There’s some flexibility there and with a necessity for some expertise off the bench (assume Blake Griffin), he may turn into the second Rivers to lift a banner in Boston.
