The LA Clippers are one of the better stories of the NBA season, pushing toward the playoffs with a fun, balanced squad. In fact, the Clippers have (somehow) improved after trading arguably their best player, Tobias Harris, to the Philadelphia 76ers and head coach Doc Rivers is rightfully receiving all kinds of attention for doing a masterful job.
With that as the backdrop, subtle buzz existed that Rivers could at least conceivably jump from the Clippers to the Los Angeles Lakers when/if an opening was created to take the helm of LeBron’s crew this summer. In short, the 57-year-old put a swift end to any of that chatter on Tuesday night when he addressed reporters in advance of the Clippers’ face-off with the Indiana Pacers.
Rivers noted that he agreed to a new extension with the Clippers that included an opt-out this summer, but after the way this season’s gone he’s going to be staying with the Clips for years to come.
Doc Rivers: "Let me end this. Magic Johnson & I are very close friends…but Steve Ballmer and I have a great relationship. He gave me an out, where I could opt-out this summer…early this year, let's end this thing, extend, make it a longer deal. I'm here. My job is not done."
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) March 20, 2019
"I just wanted to make sure it was the right fit for all of us. Everybody we've brought in, I absolutely think the world of. As far as a workplace, this is a great place to work." – more Doc Rivers
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) March 20, 2019
Doc Rivers said he and Steve Ballmer have agreed to an extension. Extension originally had an out this summer, but that’s been scrapped. “This is a great place to work.”
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 20, 2019
Though it never seemed overly likely that Rivers would change jobs within the same city, it is noteworthy that his contract is now longer than originally scheduled, at least with the elimination of an opt-out clause. At this stage, there is no doubting Rivers’ standing as one of the better coaches in the NBA and, while he isn’t likely to win Coach of the Year for 2018-19, his job security appears to be quite strong with these statements being made public while the regular season is still happening.
The Lakers will probably be making a coaching change this summer but it feels safe to remove Doc Rivers’ name from any theoretical list of candidates. Sorry, Magic Johnson.
