Suns complete Trevor Ariza trade for Kelly Oubre, Austin Rivers
Dec 17, 2018, 9:12 AM | Updated: 10:03 am
From left to right, Austin Rivers, Kelly Oubre and Trevor Ariza (AP photos)
(AP photos)
Two days after the Suns and Wizards agreed to a deal sending Trevor Ariza to Washington in exchange for Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre, the deal has been finalized with a trade call through the NBA office Monday.
Phoenix visits Madison Square Garden on Monday to face the New York Knicks but will not have Oubre and Rivers available until their Wednesday game in Boston, according to The Athletic’s Gina Mizell.
The 6-foot-7 Oubre joins the Suns in the final year of his rookie deal will be a restricted free agent this coming summer. The 23-year-old is averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game on 43 percent shooting from the field.
Rivers, also on an expiring contract, is averaging 7.2 points and 2.0 assists while shooting 39 percent overall and 31 percent from deep. He could slide in as the starting point guard to alleviate pressure from Suns guard Devin Booker.
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Ariza was averaging 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on 38 percent accuracy, including 36 percent from three-point range. He signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Phoenix in the offseason and was dealt immediately upon becoming trade eligible on Saturday.
In a proposed three-team deal on Friday that had the Suns sending Ariza to Washington, the Suns believed they were receiving forward Dillon Brooks from Memphis while the Grizzlies thought they were trading guard MarShon Brooks to Phoenix. The deal fell through once it was known that the Suns and Grizzlies were talking about two different players. Oubre was expected to be the main piece heading to Memphis in that scenario.
Washington and Phoenix verbally agreed to make a deal that did not involve the Grizzlies by Saturday morning.
