If Shaun Livingston gets his way, he’ll be with the Golden State Warriors next season.
And beyond.
From Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group:
“I want to stay here as long as I can,” Livingston said. “It’s a unique and special situation. A lot of guys including myself, I want to here for as long as I possibly can depending on the contract situation.”
The Warriors signed Livingston to a three-year, $16 million contract, with a team option for the 2016-17 season that includes partially guaranteed money — a buyout in the unlikely scenario he isn’t retained.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers strongly indicated the team would pick up that option after Livingston as the backup to Stephen Curry averaged 6.3 points and 3 assists in a second straight season of playing 78 games.
“It’s a good deal for us, and we see him in our future,” Myers told 95.7 The Game on Wednesday.
The Warriors will have to pay Livingston just under $5.8 million next season to keep him around. That’s a no-brainer given all he does. He is an integral part of Death Squad combinations, since he can basically defend positions 1 through 3. And while he isn’t a shooter, he is money off the dribble and when operating with his back to the basket. Mix in his playmaking abilities, and he is an ideal complement to the Warriors’ versatility-obsessed model.
The status quo could change, though, if the Warriors decide to pursue Kevin Durant in free agency. The futures of Harrison Barnes (restricted free agent), Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston will all be up in the air should the 2013-14 MVP journey to Oakland. Barnes would be good as gone, since he would be kind of redundant, and the Warriors ostensibly need one of Bogut or Ezeli for traditional size. That should, mathematically, leave one of Iguodala and Livingston on the outside looking in.
This, of course, only happens if the Warriors decide Durant is worth chasing.
And they may decide he isn’t.
They’re that good without him.
