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Adrian WojnarowskiESPN
The Clippers ended the first father-son relationship, coach-player in NBA history Tuesday, by swapping guard Austin Rivers at Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat.
Rivers played three seasons and more for his father, Doc Rivers, with the Clippers. In a three-team deal, Doc Rivers traded a second-round pick in Boston for Austin in January 2015, but he no longer runs basketball operations with the Clippers. Lawrence Frank is the president of Clippers basketball operations, with Michael Winger the general manager.
The Wizards have been looking for trades to move Gortat in recent months.
The Clippers wrote Thursday their backcourt of the future, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson. Veteran goalkeepers Milos Teodosic and Patrick Beverley will also be back in the lineup this season.
Rivers and Gortat are in the last years of their contracts and will become free agents next summer.
After struggling to find his niche in New Orleans to start his NBA career, Rivers, 25, made steady progress in joining the Clippers and became a legitimate guardian of the NBA. In his last season with the Clippers, he averaged 15.1 points, 4.0 assists and 1.2 interceptions per game. His offensive and defensive productivity has increased every season in Los Angeles.
Rivers gives the Wizards a third legitimate guard to play behind John Wall and Bradley Beal, who can also be a starter on both backcourt spots.
"The acquisition of Austin gives us another versatile and experienced player who provides scores and play," said Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld in a statement. "He is coming out of a career year and his ability to create offensive for himself and others will help our second unit and allow us to play a variety of lineups throughout the season."
Gortat, who took Instagram to say goodbye to Washington, gives the Clippers a first-class center if DeAndre Jordan was to withdraw from his $ 24.1 million deal before Friday's deadline. Even if Jordan opts for the deal, the Clippers and Jordan would work together to find a business in Los Angeles, preferably long before the February trading deadline.
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