Finding one player from the Houston Rockets that the Atlanta Hawks could sign in free agency.
Continuing our series to find one player from every team the Atlanta Hawks could sign this off-season. We skipped the Golden State Warriors because they have zero players coming off the books this summer, which brings us to the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets also have most of their players under contract for next season, but Austin Rivers has a player option this off-season. If he opts out, the Atlanta Hawks could add him to give the team a veteran presence.
With Rivers, the Hawks would know exactly what they’re getting. He’s a proven veteran with a solid basketball IQ who’s efficient on both ends of the court.
The son of former Hawks point guard Doc Rivers is a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none type player, and while there’s not much he can’t do on the court, he doesn’t do anything on an especially high level either.
He can, at the very least, be a reliable secondary ball-handler, which should be at the top of the Hawks’ needs this off-season. Taking some double-team pressure of Trae is needed for his continued success thus, the team’s success.
He’s the type of veteran glue guy that the Hawks need with Vince Carter retiring. The combo guard could work as a backup to Trae Young or Kevin Huerter (or whoever starts at the two next season), or he could come in a be a plug and play starter.
In a free agency class that’s devoid of high-end stars, Rivers should be a fairly cheap option for the Hawks, who need to sure-up their bench this fall. If Rivers opts out of his deal, Atlanta should look to Rivers unless they feel confident about a guard in the draft.
Should the Atlanta Hawks sign veteran shooting guard Austin Rivers?