Sacramento Kings Free Agency 2017: Kings should target Shaun Livingston
With free agency about to go into full swing, the Sacramento Kings have no shortage of holes to fill. Luckily, Shaun Livingston can fill more than one.
With free agency on the cusp of beginning, the Sacramento Kings have plenty holes to fill. One of which is a veteran point guard to back up De’Aaron Fox. Shaun Livingston fits that bill.
Background information:
Coming off his third season with the Golden State Warriors and having won two championships, it’s possible Livingston would be content with taking more money to play for Sacramento. Livingston seems eager to return to the Bay to continue playing as a backup guard for a dynasty, and who would blame him for that? Unfortunately for him, the Warriors are going to have to do some insane cap gymnastics to retain their core from last season. With Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, David West and others on the market, they have their hands full.
Livingston a good fit:
In Sacramento, Livingston would provide a strong veteran presence for their young guards. Livingston has already shown he’s comfortable in a backup role. Something Sacramento needs him to do should he sign further north. The tutelage of a veteran leader, who has played in three consecutive finals to this young Sacramento team would have an immeasurable impact on their development.
Livingston also has the right mentality for the Kings. Furthermore, he’s bounced back from serious injury in his career and puts winning ahead of personal gain. He is a high character player on and off the court. If the Kings want to build a team around high character guys, Livingston is an excellent piece of that puzzle.
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Not only that, but he’s also a productive role player. Livingston averaged over five points, two rebounds, and almost two assists per game on 54.7% shooting last season. While his PER was only 10.1, below league average, it’s not far off from his career average of 12.1. It is a safe bet that his per game averages will jump if his role is expanded in Sacramento next season.
The Kings should sign him for his leadership, anything else he provides on the court would just be icing on the cake.
Closing Thoughts:
It will be tough to pry Livingston from Golden State, but whether or not he leaves may not be his choice. The Warriors figure to be deep into luxury tax territory and may not be able to retain his services. Going to the Kings is a big step down from competing for championships every year. He has an opportunity to leave a lasting impression in Sacramento, though.
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We all know he loves the Bay Area, but if that is ruled out, then hopefully, he would not mind finding a home a couple of hours further north.