Shaun Livingston is looking for one last NBA home.
The veteran guard, whom the Warriors waived about two weeks ago, told the Peoria Journal Star at his Pride of Peoria basketball camp Thursday that he is hoping to play one final season. Although he still is considering retirement, the 33-year-old told the paper that he has an ideal spot in mind.
Livingston said he wants to return to where his NBA career began and join the Los Angeles Clippers.
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“That would be awesome, the ideal fit,” Livingston said Wednesday. “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.”
Livingston joined the Clippers straight out of high school, getting selected No. 4 overall in the 2004 NBA Draft. In the middle of his third NBA season, Livingston simultaneously tore the ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus in his left knee and dislocated his patella, tibia and femur. He missed the entirety of the 2007-08 season as he recovered, and played for seven teams over the ensuing six seasons. He signed with the Warriors in 2014 and proceeded to win three NBA titles with Golden State.
The Warriors waived Livingston early this offseason so the team could stay below the "hard cap" in the aftermath of D'Angelo Russell's sign-and-trade. Livingston's minutes declined in each of the last three seasons, but Steve Kerr told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami earlier this month that Livingston will leave behind a void.
"Man, I am sad," Kerr said at the time. "Shaun is just an incredible human being. So poised and measured, mature, smart. We are going to miss him."
Golden State Warriors
There is a chance Livingston does not play next season. He detailed to the Journal Star that his body requires maintenance on a daily basis as the devastating leg injury "has become more troublesome with age." Livingston thinks he can be a valuable mentor and veteran contributor but is OK with the possibility that he has played his last NBA game.
“Rosters are being filled up right now,” he said. “If an opportunity comes up and it makes sense on my end, I’ll jump at that opportunity. If it doesn’t, it’s been a helluva ride.”
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The Clippers are in a much different position than when Livingston began his career with the team. The franchise now is owned by Steve Ballmer and brought in reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and two-way star Paul George in a blockbuster summer. They have 14 players under contract, but nearly $5 million in space below the luxury tax. That's more than enough to sign Livingston for the veteran's minimum (just over $2.5 million).
Whether or not Livingston suits up for the Warriors' re-loaded division rival remains to be seen, but it's easy to see why the prospect of winning one more ring in the place his career began -- and nearly ended -- appeals to the veteran guard.