Clippers seek to acquire Doc Rivers’ son, Austin, in a trade

There was some movement toward a Rivers family reunion Sunday, but it did not directly involve the Clippers.

Austin Rivers was reportedly on the verge of being traded to the Boston Celtics, who were believed to be nothing more than a momentary stopover for the son of Clippers Coach Doc Rivers.

The Clippers are pursuing Austin Rivers, hoping he could help bolster their underachieving bench while playing point guard and shooting guard.

Boston reportedly does not want to take on the $1.8 million in salary the Clippers would have to shed to acquire Rivers, meaning the Clippers would have to involve a third team to complete the trade.

The trade that would send Rivers to the Celtics as part of a three-team deal is expected to be finalized Monday. Rivers did not attend the New Orleans Pelicans’ practice Sunday.

Doc Rivers said he was unsure whether he could talk to his son about possibly joining the Clippers.

“I maybe should call the league,” Doc Rivers said. “It may be tampering. Listen, if it got to that point, yeah, we would talk, clearly.”

Austin Rivers is not under contract beyond this season, so the Clippers could evaluate the 22-year-old with no long-term obligation were they to acquire him.

Doc Rivers said he would like to coach Austin and didn’t think playing for him would be an issue for his son.

“I think it would be more me than him,” Doc Rivers said. “I think players play.”

Rivers said he didn’t think it would be any harder or easier to complete a trade with Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations and his former boss. The Celtics and the Clippers had been barred from discussing trades for one year after Rivers departed Boston to coach the Clippers.

Rivers said Ainge had tried to acquire his son while Rivers was in Boston. Austin Rivers averaged 6.8 points and 2.5 assists for the Pelicans.