Shaun Livingston: 5 potential landing spots in 2017 NBA free agency
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Given the seismic nature of Livingston’s 2007 knee injury, it’s quite possible that returning to play at Staples Center is out of the question. Beyond that, the Lakers are a near-perfect fit.
They have the current cap room and long-term deal aversion to target a player like Livingston. They have his former teammate and coach in Luke Walton. They also have the requisite young point guard, although the dynamic here would be different entirely.
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Rather than playing Lonzo Ball with Livingston to ease him into lead ball handling and defensive duties, the relationship would be one of role model and protegé. The two have similar builds — Ball is 6’6″, Livingston is 6’7″ and both weigh roughly 190 pounds — and many overlapping skills. Both have great court vision, cutting instincts and sneaky vertical athleticism.
If Ball doesn’t suffer a horrific injury, his career should eclipse Livingston’s. But that blown-out knee did force Livingston to learn how to score without an explosive first step, something Ball already lacks. The post game he developed has made him one of the more unique players in the NBA and a matchup nightmare for smaller point guards.
Ball has a better three-point shot, and will never be the post scorer Livingston is due to his low release (the contrast between this and the apex Livingston’s shot reaches is comical), but he’d do well learning from another big point guard who knows how to leverage his size.
The Lakers don’t have the same cap room Sacramento does, but they still have enough to offer Livingston eight figures annually.