Austin Rivers-Marcin Gortat trade grades: Clippers get potential DeAndre Jordan replacement; Wizards gain depth
Rivers was getting squeezed out of Los Angeles, but could the Clippers have gotten more?
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On Tuesday we received a tantalizing appetizer for the main course that's hopefully in store for us once NBA free agency begins in earnest at midnight on July 1. The Clippers traded Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Marcin Gortat, and while the two players aren't exactly All-Stars, the implications involve much bigger names like DeAndre Jordan and (potentially) DeMarcus Cousins.
We'll get into that and much more as we grade the trade. First let's review the deal.
Los Angeles Clippers get:
Washington Wizards get:
Marcin Gortat
PF
PPG8.4
RPG7.6
BPG.7
Trade impact
According to SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh, the Wizards' playoff chances drop from 38 percent to 21.9 percent with the departure of Gortat and addition of Rivers. The Clippers' playoff projection goes from 11.1 percent to 22.5 percent. This obviously doesn't factor in any subsequent deals either team will make.
| Wizards | Wins | Conference | Playoff % |
|---|---|---|---|
Before trade | 37.5 | 9th | 38.0% |
After trade | 35.2 | 9th | 21.9% |
Difference | -2.3 | -- | -16.1% |
| Clippers | Wins | Conference | Playoff % |
|---|---|---|---|
Before trade | 36.3 | 10th | 11.1% |
After trade | 38.4 | 10th | 22.5% |
Difference | +2.1 | -- | +11.4% |
Washington Wizards: B+
Is Austin Rivers a perfect player? Absolutely not. Will he help a bench unit that was in the bottom third in the league in bench scoring? You bet. The big win for the Wizards here, though, is actually getting a capable NBA player in exchange for Gortat, who had worn out his welcome in Washington. Franchise point guard John Wall had already cited the team's need to get a more athletic big and get bench help. This trade accomplishes one of those things, and clears the way for the other to potentially happen.
The Wizards have zero cap room, but a sign-and-trade for someone like Cousins is an option, albeit a far-fetched one. If nothing else, Washington got rid of a slow, plodding center who didn't fit with their young, athletic core of Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, and they picked up a pretty good bench player in the process. But if they're unable to fill their now-gaping hole at starting center, they could be stuck with Ian Mahinmi -- hardly and upgrade from Gortat.
Los Angeles Clippers: B-
As flawed as he can be, Rivers was embedded in the Clippers' culture, and you could count on his effort and confidence every night. There was just no room for him with Los Angeles picking up guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson in last week's NBA Draft, so Rivers had to go. They did fine by getting Gortat, but you would have loved to see them pick up someone a little more dynamic, if the goal really is to replace Jordan at starting center. And if you're bringing in Gortat as a backup, there's no need -- you already have Boban Marjanovic locked up for another year!
Seriously though, the trade is a pretty clear indication that the Clippers expect Jordan to leave in free agency, or that they plan to deal him after he opts into his $24 million option for next season. If that's the case, then Gortat is a serviceable stop-gap for a team hoping to remain competitive while building for the future -- the most difficult of NBA tasks. The Polish Hammer might have some fit issues with an athletic core of players around him, but ultimately he'll get the job done. Still, you would have liked to see the Clippers get a bit more than a 34-year-old, declining center for a solid two-way wing like Rivers.
