Rivers flows on, despite uncertain future with Knicks
Austin Rivers understands his time with the Knicks could be over.
With the Feb. 8 trade for Derrick Rose completely cutting Rivers out of the rotation, the backup guard said he’s heard rumors about his relocation.
“There’s been stuff about me being moved to other places,” Rivers said. “With all this kind of up in the air right now, my thing is as long as I’m a Knick, just to be professional.
“I don’t know what can happen today or tomorrow or next week or the week after that. Every day that I’m here I’m always going to be all in.”
It was a much different vibe and outlook from Rivers earlier this season, when he was winning games off the bench and ultra enthusiastic about his role as a veteran mentor and the franchise’s direction. But the 28-yearold revealed Wednesday he knew the Rose acquisition was a possibility “even before the season started,” which lines up with a source telling the Daily News Tom Thibodeau was lobbying for the point guard when the Knicks faced the Pistons in preseason.
Rivers’ hot shooting had cooled even before the trade, but he’s played only six combined minutes in the seven games since Rose was acquired from the Pistons. He said Thibodeau addressed the situation in a meeting and Rivers wanted to keep the details private.
“But it wasn’t really about me and the rotation. I think that was an assumed thing already when
Derrick came,” Rivers said. “So I already understood and I know that’s Thibs’ guy — he’s been with Derrick (in the past) and Derrick’s a heckuva player.”
Rivers was signed in the summer on a team-friendly three-year, $10 million deal in which only the first season is guaranteed. During training camp, Rivers said he signed with the Knicks to build a contender from the foundation and that he rejected three or four other suitors that were all playoff contenders.
Given his playoff experience with the Rockets and Clippers, Rivers should be the target of a team positioned for the postseason.
“As long as I’m here, I’m here. I can’t control whether I get traded today, tomorrow or the next day,” Rivers said. “Or what the rumors are saying or what they’re trying to do. What I control is how I am as a player and what I bring to this team at all times.”
From the Knicks’ perspective, they clearly need floor spacers and shooters – they’re 29th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game — but Thibodeau deflected a question about his trade-deadline agenda.
“I think the focus for us — for me — is to work with the guys we have,” he said.
Rivers doesn’t know what to expect, but certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he’s no longer a Knick after the March 25 deadline.
“I can’t answer that question. I wish I did have an answer for that,” he said. “At the end of the day, I don’t have an answer for you. We’ll see what happens.”