Austin Rivers Thinks Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas Trade Will Still Be Completed

Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers still believes the deal sending Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics and Isaiah Thomas and other assets to the Cleveland Cavaliers will ultimately go through.

"They're just doing their job—doing their due diligence," Rivers told TMZ Sports. "I'm sure the deal will go through."

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Cavaliers are seeking additional compensation after Thomas' physical suggested his return from a hip injury could take longer than expected. He additionally reported that the Cavs could simply end up nixing the deal if the Celtics aren't willing to renegotiate.

Rivers, it should be noted, said he hadn't heard about Thomas' physical when he was approached in the airport by a TMZ reporter, and his comments appeared to simply be him offering his opinion rather than sharing any insider knowledge.

The deal, which will also send Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick, was "thrust into uncertainty once Thomas underwent his exam in Cleveland on Friday," league sources told Wojnarowski.

But "Boston has believed it was clear in its assessment of Thomas' physical status and that information was communicated to the Cavaliers in the conversations before Tuesday's trade."

And thus the plot thickened in what was already the biggest move in a summer full of blockbuster trades.

Rivers and his Clippers were no strangers to major deals this summer, as the team traded superstar point guard Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a package highlighted by Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell. They also landed forward Danilo Gallinari in a sign-and-trade deal, leaving the team with a significantly new look for the 2017-18 campaign.