Sixers Rumors: Doc Rivers Pushed Austin Rivers to Sign With Knicks

Before Doc Rivers signed on to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, the team's front office had its eyes on another member of the Rivers family. Veteran guard Austin Rivers just wrapped up a stint with the Houston Rockets and fully intended on testing free agency to see what other opportunities are out there.

As Philly was on the hunt for reliable veteran guards this offseason, Rivers was high on their list. Once the Sixers rapidly signed Doc Rivers as he became available after getting fired by the Los Angeles Clippers, the chances of the team landing Austin Rivers shrank.

It's funny; one would think that scenario would have the opposite effect. As Doc Rivers took on the Sixers job, it seemed that would increase his son's chances of coming to Philly and partaking in a family reunion. But the elder Rivers convinced his son to take his talents elsewhere this offseason.

“I kept telling him, ‘New York is a great place,’ ’’ Doc Rivers said, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I had a great experience there. That’s what I shared with him. It’s a tough city -- in a positive way. He said, ‘What do you mean by that?’ I said, ‘It’s similar to Boston and Philly. Their fans are real. They want you to play hard, give you everything you can and play like a team.’"

As Rivers did what he could to convince his son to take on the New York Knicks' offer, he also made it clear to the Sixers' organization that bringing his son on board could be a conflict of interest. "When I took the job, I said, ‘You don’t want that,'" Rivers mentioned. "'You got too many other things we have to deal with.’"

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_