The Rockets have reached an agreement to re-signed Austin Rivers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It will be a two-year, minimum-salary arrangement with a player option in year two.
Rivers had an offer on the table for roughly $5.7 million (taxpayers mid-level exception), according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The point guard opted to turn it down for another chance to play on general manager Daryl Morey’s club.
“Now that the league is wide open, I just saw an opportunity,” Rivers explained. “You can’t really put a price on happiness. The goal was to come back to Houston all along. I think we have the team to beat.”
Rivers, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, joined Houston last December on a minimum-salaried deal and stepped up for the team when injuries piled up. He provided the Rockets with a steady option at the backup point guard spot. Prior to his time in Houston, he spent time with the Pelicans, Clippers, and Wizards.
The Rockets have not been major players so far in free agency, having no salary cap room. They’ve made a series of minor transaction, re-signing Danuel House and Gerald Green in addition to Rivers.
