Can the Rockets Keep Austin Rivers in Houston in 2020-21?
Daryl Morey doesn't shy away from making a splash in free agency and the trade market, but it might be a relatively sleepy summer for the Rockets general manager before the 2020-21 season.
Both James Harden and Russell Westbrook are signed through 2021-22, with hefty player options set for the following season. Eric Gordon signed a four-year, $76 million extension in September 2019, while P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, Ben McLemore and Robert Covington are all signed through at least 2020-21. Houston's core is slated to return largely in full next season, with one key omission: Austin Rivers.
The veteran point guard could make things easy for Morey by opting into the second year of his two-year, veteran minimum deal. But the market for Rivers is almost guaranteed to exceed a $2.4 million salary in 2020-21. Rivers appears destined to hit the open market if the economics are any indication. So can Houston keep a key bench piece in 2020-21? There is a pathway to a reunion.
The Rockets retain Rivers' Early Bird rights, allowing them to pay him up to around $10 million in 2020-21–with up to 8% raises in following seasons–without using one of their mid-level exceptions. Perhaps the $10 million figure is a bit rich for Houston, but it's hard to see Rivers exceeding that number on the open market. There's likely a middle ground between the $10 million annual figure and Rivers' current $2.4 million salary that should keep the Duke product with the Rockets.
Rivers could be the victim of an economic crunch in Houston. Westbrook and Harden's deals eat up a significant chunk of the cap, and Gordon isn't exactly cheap after his recent extension. Thabo Sefolosha, DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Green are all free agents this summer, as is young forward Bruno Caboclo. Morey will have to get creative to fill the back end of his roster.
But skimping on Rivers' deal doesn't seem prudent. The 27-year-old point guard has emerged as a defensive weapon off the bench, and he's a malleable offensive asset next to Houston's pair of MVPs. Rivers is a locker room leader. He's a calming force in troubling times, and a player whose toughness and effort is never in question. Rivers' offensive production may be middling. But his value extends far beyond the box score.
Rivers will likely explore his options this summer, and opting into his current deal is a significant long-shot. Yet it's likely he and Morey will look to work out a deal to keep Rivers in Houston. Rivers has previously lamented the difficulty of consistently switching teams, and he appears to have found a true home with the Rockets. Rivers has emerged as an integral part of the organization since arriving in 2018-19. Finding a replacement would be more difficult than his stat line suggests.
