Shaun Livingston, who began his NBA career with the LA Clippers, is rumored to be interested in coming back to Los Angeles for one final season.
It’s been a long time since Shaun Livingston has been with the LA Clippers. He played his last game for the team in February 2007, when he suffered his infamous leg injury, and he was released by them in the summer of 2008. Since then, Livingston has played for a number of different franchises, finding the most success with the Golden State Warriors. Now, at age 33, he’s looking for a new team. And according to rumors, that team could be the LA Clippers.
The information comes from Dave Reynolds, a reporter for the Peoria, Illinois-based Journal Star. He discussed Livingston’s future with the 14-year veteran, who claims that the Clippers would be his “ideal fit”.
"“That would be awesome, the ideal fit,” Livingston said. “That would be a part of coming full circle. But it has to work on their end. If there’s a spot, an opportunity, that would probably make the most sense. There’s been some interest (on the Clippers’ part). It’s about whether they’re ready to pull the trigger.”"
From Livingston’s quote, we can also see that the Clippers have had some interest in bringing him back to the franchise he started his career with. It would be a storybook ending for the three-time NBA champion, and it certainly seems possible.
The Clippers are two players short of a full 15-man roster, and despite all the moves the team has made this summer, there are still a few areas of need. The most pressing is down low, where the Clippers are lacking in big man depth. Re-signing Johnathan Motley doesn’t entirely remedy that issue, either, since his contract only allows him to play a maximum of 45 games for LA.
The Clippers also need a true, backup point guard that is comfortable running the second and third units if need be. LA has Patrick Beverley with the starters, and Lou Williams runs the offense as the team’s sixth man, but there’s no one else besides those two. Rookie swingman Terance Mann flashed some potential during Summer League, but he’s best suited to be a wing player.
Livingston wouldn’t need to play big chunks of time, and since he’s best suited as a playmaker, he does make some sense for that role. His experience playing for a championship team is something that only he and Kawhi Leonard can boast about, too — no other players on the roster have won rings.
If Livingston did return to the Clippers, it’s likely that he would only play for one season. LA could offer him a one-year, minimum deal (which wouldn’t count against the cap) and add a solid veteran to the roster, while also providing some fan service.
Livingston may not fit the three-and-D mold that the LA Clippers are looking for, but if Livingston is willing to take a back seat to come back to Los Angeles, then he’s at least worth considering.