Denver Nuggets: Grading the Austin Rivers re-signing

The Denver Nuggets and Austin Rivers have agreed to a new one-year deal, although the terms remain undisclosed. Austin Rivers, who played 25 times for the Nuggets last season, will give the team a reliable point guard while Jamal Murray continues his recovery from a knee injury.

After spending the first part of last season with the New York Knicks, Rivers was drafted into the Denver Nuggets roster to provide additional support at the guard position. In 15 regular-season games, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 8.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game. Once the playoffs got underway, Rivers handled the starting role admirably, chipping in with 9.2 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game.

The Nuggets, who entered the off-season with little cap flexibility, have made a point of bringing back familiar faces during free agency. Rivers joins JaMychal Green and Will Barton in signing a new deal for the team, as the front office and coaching staff put their faith in continuity and team spirit.

Denver Nuggets: Grading the Austin Rivers re-signing: A

The Nuggets cap situation made them players retain their own players, but not in the free agency market. And with the return of Jamal Murray due to happen in the coming season, it made little sense to get involved in a bidding war for a stop-gap player.

Instead, the Denver Nuggets rewarded Rivers for his playoff performances, where he deputized for Murray, starting 9 out 10 playoff games. Sure, Monte Morris is also on the roster and can offer a different form of offensive creation, but Rivers’ experience and poise on-ball were valuable assets for the Nuggets.

The Santa Monica native provides the offense with consistent secondary creation, respectable spacing, and high-effort levels as a point of attack defender.

Rivers has predominantly been a bench role player throughout his career, only starting 156 of his 588 regular-season games, per Basketball-Reference. For the Denver Nuggets, having a player who’s used to operating on a second unit is imperative. Once Murray is healthy and re-takes the starting spot, Rivers will slot into the second unit to create a sturdier guard rotation.

Sure, Rivers isn’t a flashy name or someone who gets the pulse racing on a nightly basis, but he’s a respected veteran in the league who oozes professionalism. Adding a player of Rivers caliber to the Denver Nuggets roster for an extra season is a huge win, especially when the team has a Jamal Murray-sized hole to fill in the short-mid-term.