>Austin Rivers thinks Phoenix is a lovely place. He just wasn’t trying to play for the Suns.
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>“I knew I wouldn’t come here,” Rivers said. “I wouldn’t come here. They knew that.”
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>When finally settling on a trade in December to send Trevor Ariza to Washington, the Suns got Kelly Oubre Jr. and and addressed their need at point guard with Rivers.
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>Oubre joined the Suns in Boston before they played the Celtics. Rivers didn’t.
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>”They understood where I was at,” Rivers said. “I’m not old. I’m only 26, but where I’ve been. I’ve been on playoff teams the past five years. That’s kind of the route I wanted and I felt like was best for me, especially in a contract year. I want to be in the playoffs. I want to compete for something.”
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>“I don’t want to be part of a team — no disrespect — obviously they’re trying to find themselves,” Rivers said. “They’re trying to get draft picks. I’ve never been in that situation. I don’t know if I would’ve handled that the best way and I think they knew that and understood that. If I would’ve came here, I would’ve been professional and would’ve played hard and tried to help younger guys out, but obviously I felt like what was best suited for me, me and my team thought playing for a playoff team would do that.”
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>So, the Suns (11-43) bought out Rivers’ contract. Rivers sought an experienced playoff contender and wound up on the Rockets (30-22) with reigning MVP James Harden and Chris Paul. Tonight, Rivers faces the team he didn’t want to join in the Suns at 7 p.m. at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
[https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2019/02/04/rockets-austin-rivers-explains-why-he-didnt-join-suns/2770547002/](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2019/02/04/rockets-austin-rivers-explains-why-he-didnt-join-suns/2770547002/)
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by achickenquesadilla
46 Comments
[“If you get traded somewhere you gotta go play. This started with James and Ben”](https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1683300963929522176)
Not Heat flairs coming for Austin Rivers now
Least he could have done was show up and [hit Igor with a towel.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_COHYa57ZLg)
Austin Rivers is an idiot. I listen to his podcast sometimes, and some of the stuff he says is nuts. He talks like he’s a superstar/all star half the time
He’s a hypocrite lmao
Y’all not getting dame get over it
As stubborn as his father
At the time the suns passed on Luka for Ayton they weren’t the beacon of hope.
Curb music plays
lol doofus
austin rivers thought he was good til he realized he wasnt.
i remember in college, where he was kind of a baller, he said he was gonna challenge lebron. then he got to the pros and he was terrible and his pops has kept him in the league(which i think any father would do, i would if could)
Different. Prior to the trade he made the team aware of his intentions not to play.
Im gonna forgive Austin cause of fire hoopmixtape back in the day.
Wasn’t that after the MarShon Brooks, Dillon Brooks mix-up in a previous version of the trade?
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I kinda liked Austin cause his dad hates him but now i see why
I think that game Dame was raining so many threes down on Rivers a few years back gave him CTE.
Acting like Harden/Simmons started the trade culture in the league is insane recency bias.
Mo Bamba was right?
I’m not surprised, it was the Suns.
This article is from 2019…. Just … why?
Austin’s career is the definition of “Bench players talking like starters….”
Austin has done nothing to me but his videos of how much he could of made, or how top 10 players shouldn’t be able to change teams and then consider himself more then a mid level player makes me hate his guts! Maybe its his demeanor when he does interviews like he is some sort of special item but I have to say he has a hater and probably will never agree with what he says haha
Rivers is so mid but acts like he’s a top 10 superstar in the league. We’ll see how he performs this year
Hahahahah
He just seems like that dude still showing his HS highlight reel
This guy acting like he makes first team each year.
Wouldn’t this mean that he himself knows first hand how bad it is because he’d done it? It’s like someone who’s never been in mafia try and explain to you what it’s like to kill a person. Would you rather listen to them or that ex mafia boss on youtube?
Just because he’s a hypocrite doesn’t mean that he’s wrong about his other statement. You can be correct and a moron at the same time.
Dude is just mad he didn’t get the AR nickname
Austin Rivers not reporting to a team after being traded because they aren’t winning enough is Bad for the League^TM
Went from making $12mill/year to Vet Min after Suns debacle. Looks like the big plan for his “Contract year” didn’t really work out.
Traded isn’t signed a contract there
But have you seen his hoop mixtape? Sheeeeesh
remembering him fighting with mo bamba last year
absolute clown, growing up in bougie orlando turns your brain to goo
Austin ‘6 dollar taco’ Rivers
the feeling was mutual.
Austin Rivers can suck my Doc
What a maroon!
It would be a Heat fan posting this. Those guys feel entitled to Lillard at this point.
He has the mentality of a front office guy and not of an average player.
That’s fair.
Seems like he was just filler for the trade and the Suns had no plans to keep/play him. Have no issues with this if both sides were okay with it. Like if Lowry was traded to the Blazers they’d probably try to work out a buyout as well.
Bro…I just realized that we are talking about Austin Rivers and not Austin Reaves ffs. I was so confused when I saw his comments about Dame.
Hey, at least hitting Igor with a towel would’ve been some sort of contribution!
just when i thought i couldn’t despise austin rivers more…
He makes a good point but it would’ve been better if HE wasn’t the one making it.
The “$50M or $2M” thing is real. There being no real max contract screws a lot players.
Thank you Austin.
Kinda pathetic the Heat’s fans witch hunt on poor Rivers because he happened to call out the terrible situation that Dame himself created. I just hope the trade happens and the post season comes. This year Miami is not getting out of the second round.
Butler is a baller and it will be sad to see him retire without a ring but if it has to come at the price of the Heat winning he can stay at 0 forever.
I’m really salty that the Mavs didn’t think of him when he left the 76ers. Now THAT would have been a great addition to the team.