Sixty-six hours, forty-five minutes — that’s how long Austin Rivers officially reigned a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Athletic’s Senior NBA Inside Shams Charania broke the news midday Sunday that Austin Rivers had been officially waived.
Oklahoma City’s parting of Rivers comes to no avail as Friday reports signaled the 28-year-old had not reported to the team, and with the Thunder’s other acquisition Tony Bradley arriving in Bricktown Saturday — the writing was on the wall.
Rivers’ departure will cost the Thunder $3.5 million to shed, however it is a worthwhile investment. With guards Theo Maledon and Ty Jerome surfacing as potential point-guards around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Rivers would’ve had no role in the organization outside of holding a roster spot.
For the case of Rivers, finding a partner in the buyout market should be no issue as the guard has averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in his 21 games with the Knicks. Milwaukee appears to be the front-runner on Rivers at this time.
When it comes to Oklahoma City, this scenario has been long in the making. The Thunder have carried all 15 NBA roster spots for the entirety of the season; however, the recent emergence of two-way player Moses Brown has in essence forced Sam Presti’s hand into handing the 21-year-old a full scale contract.
Moses Brown has terrorized opponents since returning from his Orlando showcase, boasting averages of 12.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his nine game March stand. Stack this with the insight Al Horford will rest the remainder of the season — Brown’s signing is a no-brainer.
There is no official standing on if Moses Brown will be signed in the next coming hours, or in the season’s sunset stages to salvage a relatively feeble sum of money, but one thing is for sure — expect Presti to upgrade Moses Brown in the near future.