Nets guard Shaun Livingston will be in Minnesota’s sights as his free agency approaches this summer, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Wolfson points to Livingston’s history with Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders, who coached the former No. 4 overall pick with the Wizards in 2009/10.
Brooklyn GM Billy King has said he’ll make re-signing Livingston job No. 1 this summer, but the Nets only have Livingston’s Non-Bird rights, which provide for no more than 120% of the minimum salary he made this past season. Brooklyn could also use its taxpayer’s mid-level exception, which would allow for a starting salary of $3.278MM and a total of nearly $10.3MM over the course of a three-year deal, as I explained Sunday. That wouldn’t be as much as the Timberwolves are likely to be able to offer. Minnesota is in line to have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level, worth $5.305MM in year one. Livingston could draw a four-year deal worth $22.652MM on that exception.
Livingston recently indicated a contentment in Brooklyn, but this offseason the Henry Thomas client figures to draw more interest than he ever has since a gruesome knee injury knocked him out for the entire 2007/08 season and nearly ended his career. He averaged 8.3 points this season, his most since the injury, but more importantly, his 6’7″ size was critical for Brooklyn once Jason Kidd inserted him into the starting lineup alongside Deron Williams, causing matchup headaches for opponents. Livingston turns 29 in September, so there’s a decent chance this summer represents his best financial opportunity.