2017 NBA free agency grades: Shaun Livingston to re-sign with Warriors
The Golden State Warriors took care of a pivotal bench piece by re-signing Shaun Livingston to a three-year deal below market value.
The rich keep getting richer. The Golden State Warriors are unfair. This isn’t NBA 2K.
Choose whichever expression of disbelief you’d like, because here are the facts: Less than an hour into 2017 NBA Free agency, the Dubs had not only agreed to lock up Stephen Curry to a well-deserved super-max payday, but had also reached terms on securing a pivotal bench piece in Shaun Livingston.
As first reported by ESPN‘s Chris Haynes, the defending champions settled on a three-year, $24 million extension for the 12-year veteran. This is a significant downgrade from the $10-$12 million annual salary Haynes reported he might earn on the open market earlier this week.
Sure, it pushes the Dubs that much closer to the tax apron, but that was an inevitability. The big takeaway here is that this unassailable juggernaut locked down one of the two potential weaknesses in its impenetrable armor.
With an annual salary of $8 million, Livingston is a clear bargain. Though he only averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last season, his defense, ball-handling, high basketball IQ, crafty cuts to the basket and ability to post smaller defenders make him a high-impact player in limited minutes off the pine, especially once the postseason rolls around.
Third year of Shaun Livingston's deal is partially guaranteed, source says. Deal structure appears to be: $8M, $8M, $2M guaranteed
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 1, 2017
In other words, Livingston’s impact extends far beyond the box score for a star-studded team that only needs him to take care of the intangibles.
Re-signing Livingston also became paramount with the unexpected development that Andre Iguodala has no current plans to meet with the Warriors in free agency, per ESPN‘s Zach Lowe.
Though Lowe said the two sides were “optimistic” a deal would be reached, Iggy meeting with rival Western Conference powerhouses like the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets — not to mention entertaining offers from teams that can overpay for his services like the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves — is concerning.
ESPN Sources: San Antonio to land first meeting with Golden State free agent Andre Iguodala. https://t.co/kf9ShEdzUb
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2017
With or without Iggy next season, the Livingston signing is a good one. Though he’s already 32 years old, only $2 million of his salary is guaranteed in his final season, somewhat mitigating the risk of injuries and old age wearing his body down.
If Iguodala signs elsewhere — which is starting to look like a legitimate possibility — the Warriors will be thankful to have another reliable, steady presence off the bench who can facilitate, guard multiple positions and get buckets off his patented pull-up and turnaround jumpers.
For a team like the Warriors, re-signing Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant was the top priority. Curry is already done, while KD is an inevitability. Losing Iggy could expose one of the few weak spots on this roster, but at the very least, there won’t be two with the re-signing of Shaun Livingston.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A-