Rockets sign G Rivers for backcourt depth

The Houston Rockets confirmed yesterday they have signed guard Austin Rivers through the remainder of the 2018-19 season.

Rivers, 26, adds depth in the backcourt in the absence of point guard Chris Paul, who is expected to miss at least two weeks with a strained left hamstring.

Rivers began this season (his seventh in the NBA) with the Washington Wizards, playing in 29 games and averaging 7.2 points and 2.0 assists in 23.6 minutes per game.

The Wizards traded Rivers to Phoenix on Dec. 17, but the Suns released him the next day.

Rivers is no stranger to a couple of the Rockets. He was teammates with Eric Gordon with the Hornets for his first two-and-a-half seasons, then played alongside Paul with the Clippers for the next two-and-a-half seasons.

The Rockets are 17-15 and in eighth place in the NBA’s Western Conference, but are just 1-5 without Paul, a nine-time All-Star.

—Field Level Media