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Shaun Livingston

Nets Prioritize Re-Signing Shaun Livingston

March 21st, 2014 at 9:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets will make re-signing unrestricted free agent Shaun Livingston their top priority in the offseason, GM Billy King says, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (Twitter link). The 28-year-old point guard suggested earlier this week that he’d seek a lucrative payday in the summer. Brooklyn will be limited to giving Livingston a starting salary of no more than $3.278MM via the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, since they hold only Non-Bird rights on the rejuvenated Henry Thomas client.

Livingston, a former No. 4 overall pick, is enjoying his best season since a gruesome knee injury in early 2007 derailed his career. He’s started 43 games, many of them as part of Brooklyn’s successful small-ball lineup, and while his numbers of 8.0 points and 3.1 assists in 25.1 minutes per game aren’t flashy, the Nets are 27-16 when he starts and 8-15 when he doesn’t.

Brooklyn signed Livingston to a guaranteed minimum-salary contract before this season after he finished up 2012/13 with the Cavs. Since he’s been with the team for just a single season and makes the minimum salary, Brooklyn has Non-Bird rights with Livingston that only allow them to give him a new contract with a starting salary worth 120% of the minimum. That makes it likely the team gives him at least a portion of its mid-level, which will almost assuredly be the smaller, taxpayer’s variety, since the Nets already have more than $85MM in commitments for next season.

The mid-level may get a deal done for Livingston, but he isn’t the only free agent the Nets will have, as Paul Pierce‘s contract also expires at season’s end. King says that he and Pierce haven’t talked about an extension, as Boone notes via Twitter, and the GM’s assertion that Livingston will be his No. 1 offseason focus might indicate that the Nets won’t put much effort into re-signing Pierce, though that’s just my speculation. The Nets have full Bird rights on the former Celtic, since they acquired him via trade, so they have much greater latitude to re-sign him, and Brooklyn hasn’t shown any reluctance to spend on its roster under owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche have player options worth about $3.3MM and $1.4MM, respectively, and both could probably command more if they opted out. If they decide to hit the market, they’ll join Jason Collins, who’s on a deal for just the rest of the season, as other Nets becoming free agents on July 1st.

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Livingston Seeking Lucrative Offer This Summer

March 18th, 2014 at 7:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Playing for his ninth team in his ninth NBA season, Shaun Livingston has been all but a journeyman over the course of his professional career at this point. It’s a far cry from what some may have envisioned when the 6’7 point guard was selected fourth overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, ahead of future All-Stars Devin Harris, Luol Deng, and Andre Iguodala. Now 28-years-old, the Peoria native finds himself in a ‘renaissance’ season, being a mainstay in Jason Kidd‘s rotation and starting for the playoff-bound Nets. As much as he feels loyalty to the coach and organization that helped revive his NBA career, Livingston – who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer – tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that he’ll place a priority on his long-term security above all:

“(My enjoyment with Brooklyn and how I fit) definitely plays a factor. You have to weigh your situations, your options. The reason I’m in a situation where I can demand a contract is because I’m playing for this team, this coach, this system…I realize that and I’m not over my head. But at the same time, it’s a business. You have to look at it like (the next contract) could always be your last…Especially me.”

Bondy pointed back to the debilitating knee injury that Livingston suffered back in 2007, which involved a torn ACL, PCL, and meniscus, a sprained MCL, and a dislocated patella and tibia-femoral joint. He’s come a long way on the road to recovery since then, and as evidenced by his 42 starts in 64 games this year, Livingston has made a strong case for being a valuable and reliable role player. In 25.3 MPG, he’s averaging 7.9 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.2 SPG while shooting nearly 47% from the field. Over the last nine games, Livingston produced 10.2 PPG on 50.7% shooting in 29.4 MPG, helping the team to a 7-2 record.

Brooklyn signed Livingston to a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum last July. With a productive 2013/14 season to boot, Livingston may be in for a significant payday this summer. Unfortunately, says Bondy, the cash-strapped Nets will only have their mid-level exception to offer at most (roughly $10MM over three years). They won’t have Livingston’s Bird Rights, which would have otherwise allowed them to make an offer without dipping into the mid-level. The rest of the season and postseason still figure to play a role in determining Livingston’s value, and how his stock fares down the stretch will certainly be worth keeping an eye on, especially for Brooklyn.

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Atlantic Links: Brown, Stoudemire, Carmelo

February 4th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After previously being part of a Spurs coaching staff that helped San Antonio win three titles, Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown tells Keith Pompey of The Inquirer that bringing a championship culture to the 76ers is much tougher than he anticipated:

“It’s much harder…It’s something that I didn’t judge properly. It doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm being here. I just recognize the monster ahead of us…Trying to build a program to the level we hope to build it to requires so much work and so much luck. And there is no wiggle room. You can’t skip a single step.”

You can find some more miscellaneous links worth passing along out of the Atlantic Division below:

  • Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is more than eager to be a contributor and asserted that he’s ready to play without minute restrictions: “From a doctor’s standpoint, there hasn’t been (minute) limitations since the first week of the season…So we can’t keep saying limitations; that’s a coach’s decision at the end of the day. I feel great. I am ready to play. But it’s up to him if he wants to play me or not” (Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
  • Stoudemire added that he’s spoken with head coach Mike Woodson about increasing his role: “Yeah. I talk to Coach all the time about it. He knows I am ready. He knows how hard I train. He watches me in the weight room and also on the basketball court. The whole training staff knows, the Knicks organization knows how hard I train. I am ready to play. But it depends on how the game is played.”
  • In response to Mike Wilbon’s recent argument on ESPN that the Bulls should look to add Carmelo Anthony on the premise that stars win in this league, ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk thinks the same can be said for why the Knicks must do what they can to keep him in New York.
  • Henry Abbott and David Thorpe of ESPN discuss why Tyson Chandler hasn’t been able to make the same defensive impact we’re used to seeing from seasons past.
  • Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News explains why Raymond Felton isn’t fit to be the team’s starting point guard.
  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at how Shaun Livingston orchestrated his mid-season turnaround. The Peoria native put up 9.2 PPG on 46.1% shooting to go with 4.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG in 29.7 MPG during Brooklyn’s 10-3 stretch in January, and is averaging 18.5 PPG on 51.9% shooting over his last two contests.
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Eastern Notes: Livingston, Oladipo, Beasley

September 13th, 2013 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

It's not as easy as it used to be for NBA players to transition to front office positions, as Sam Amick details in his latest piece for USA Today. Still, the NBA Player's Association has tried to help its players become more familiar with the league's CBA, setting up events like a July seminar that featured presentations from several team executives. Shaun Livingston is one player who is appreciative of the NBPA's efforts.

"I'm really trying to take advantage of it," said the Nets guard. "And learn and soak everything in to where if I can study and meet the right people and stars can align then I can really create some good opportunities."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • At a season ticket-holder's event in Orlando, second overall pick Victor Oladipo said that he "really didn't want to go to Cleveland," the team with the No. 1 pick. Oladipo has since apologized for offending Cavs fans, hinting that the comment was meant to reflect how much he wanted to land with the Magic. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details.
  • Heat fans are somewhat divided on the signing of Michael Beasley, so Ira Winderman's Friday mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel is an extended all-Beasley edition, breaking down the move.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com provides an interesting take on the concept of tanking and roster-building, with a focus on teams like the Sixers and Bucks.
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Nets Sign Shaun Livingston

July 11th, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 11TH, 11:33am: The Nets have officially signed Livingston, according to a team release.

JULY 6TH, 5:40pm: League sources reveal to Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports (Twitter) that the Nets have reached an agreement for a one-year, minimum deal with Shaun Livingston. As shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database, Livingston is repped by CAA's Henry Thomas.

  • Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, confirms via Twitter. The move to grab the Cavs' back-up point guard this past year, means that the Nets' guaranteed salary equals close to $100.5MM for the coming 2013/14 season. Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld says that adding in the $80.2MM in taxes, the total Nets team payroll next season equals $180.7MM, which is an NBA record (Sulia link). 
  • The acqusition of the point guard Livingston comes on the heels of the Pacers signing last year's Deron Williams back-up, C.J. Watson. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that with combo guard Jack headed to the Cavs, and Livingston now gone to the Nets, the next player to leave the Cavs will be C.J. Miles. 
  • Livingston averaged 7.2 PPG and 3.6 APG in 49 outings for the Cavaliers last season in primarily a back-up role for Kyrie Irving.

4:50pm: The Nets are nearing an agreement with backup point guard Shaun Livingston, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The client of Henry Thomas at Creative Artists Agency split last season between the Wizards and Cavs, and multiple reports have linked him to the Nets in the past week. Brooklyn is seeking point guard depth with C.J. Watson heading to the Pacers.

If they can't convince him to take the minimum salary, the Nets would have to use part of their taxpayer's mid-level exception to bring the 27-year-old Livingston aboard. Cleveland picked him up off waivers in December, and he exceled in a backup role behind Kyrie Irving, and even started a dozen games. He averaged 7.2 points with a 3.6/1.2 assists-to-turnover ratio in 23.2 minutes per game in Cleveland.

Spencer Lund contributed to this post.

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Stein’s Latest: Nets, Spurs, Cavs, Belinelli, Neal

July 4th, 2013 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

In between arguments about the relative merits of In-N-Out Burger, ESPN.com's Marc Stein has found time this afternoon to pass along several nuggets related to free agency. Here are the highlights from the ESPN.com scribe's Twitter account:

  • The Nets are still targeting point guards, with Shaun Livingston and John Lucas III among the players on the team's radar, says Stein (via Twitter). The club lost C.J. Watson to the Pacers in free agency.
  • Prior to agreeing to sign with the Spurs, Marco Belinelli had a more lucrative offer on the table from the Cavaliers, says Stein, adding that Belinelli couldn't resist the lure of the Spurs' "all-world operation" (Twitter link).
  • There are "strong indications" that restricted free agent Gary Neal won't be returning to the Spurs, which is why the team moved quickly to bring Belinelli aboard, tweets Stein. According to Stein (via Twitter), Neal is receiving interest at a price point that San Antonio is reluctant to match.
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Free Agent Notes: Bobcats, Nets, Blazers, Bucks

July 1st, 2013 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

More free agent updates? More free agent updates! Let's round them up….

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Cavs Notes: Pekovic, Aldridge, Noel, Porter

June 1st, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier today that the Cavs aren't going after DeMarcus Cousins, and he has plenty more on Cleveland's team in his latest dispatch. He gets credit for the updates below, unless otherwise noted.

  • The Cavaliers have tried and failed to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and their alternative may be to go after center Nikola Pekovic, one of the leading restricted free agents. Cleveland has the cap room to make him an offer of $12MM or better, a price Wolves owner Glen Taylor has said he won't pay. 
  • The Blazers have no interest in Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters or draft picks, and have turned down the Cavs' inquiries about LaMarcus Aldridge. 
  • Nerlens Noel says he'll be ready to play around Christmas, but the Cavaliers don't think he'll be back from his ACL injury until February or March. The team remains undecided about whether Noel will be the No. 1 pick, and Amico confirms that Otto Porter is also in the mix for that selection.
  • Amico hears the Cavs are willing to trade up to nab Sergey Karasev in the middle of the first round if it doesn't look like he'll fall to them at No. 19. The Cavs are also high on Alex Len, and he could be theirs if they trade out of the No. 1 pick.
  • The Cavs like Shaun Livingston, but he's seeking a larger payday than the team wants to give him.
  • Omri Casspi and Luke Walton probably won't be re-signed, but the Cavs hope to bring back Wayne Ellington.
  • The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions in her mailbag column, and opines that Al Horford makes more sense as a trade target for the Cavs than Love or Aldridge do. 
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Cavs Rumors: Trades, Speights, Livingston, Miles

April 28th, 2013 at 9:18am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers missed the playoffs and have already hired Mike Brown as their new coach. The draft lottery, in which they'll have a 15.6% chance at the top pick, is more than three weeks away. Still, the rumor mill is far from dry in Cleveland. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald rounds up the latest:

  • Finnan doesn't believe rumors that the Cavs are willing to part with young talent like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson in return for All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love, in part because Cleveland would have to give up too much to swing such a deal.
  • Finnan thinks Marreese Speights might not fit the Cavs culture, and the scribe believes the team is hoping Speights turns down his $4.515MM player option for next season.
  • A source tells Finnan that Shaun Livingston will likely ask for $3MM to $4MM this summer and settle for $2MM to $2.5MM.
  • It's no longer a given that the Cavs will bring back C.J. Miles next season. His $2.225MM contract for 2013/14 is fully non-guaranteed.
  • John Kuester has been expected to join new Brown's staff, but sources tell Finnan he might be reluctant to coach again in the NBA after negative experiences as head coach of the Pistons and as an assistant with the Lakers. 
  • Donyell Marshall, a player under Brown from 2005 to 2008, has likely inquired about a position on Brown's coaching staff, according to Finnan, who suggests Eric Snow, Jamahl Mosley, Nate Tibbetts and Alex Jensen as other possible assistant coaching candidates for the team.
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Southwest Notes: Rockets, Livingston, Spurs

March 23rd, 2013 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

Here's a look at some notes out of the Southwest division..

  • Guard Shaun Livingston was among the Rockets' final cuts this offseason, but coach Kevin McHale says that the move was based on his contract and not on his play, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.  Livingston was guaranteed just $1MM of his $3.5MM salary for 2012/13 and wound up hooking on with the Cavs after being cut loose.
  • One NBA GM told Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) that he believes the Spurs could put together a streak similar to Miami's if Gregg Popovich wasn't so determined to keep his aging stars rested.  If you exclude San Antonio's loss to the Pistons when Tim Duncan was kept out and three overtime losses, the Spurs would have a 25-game winning streak today.
  • While the Hornets aren't playing for much on the surface, Greivis Vasquez told reporters, including John Reid of the Times-Picayune, that winning down the stretch is important for the young club.  The Hornets have knocked off two-straight playoff bound teams.
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