Shaun Livingston Turned Down a Guaranteed Deal
What is Shaun thinking?When first hearing that the Clippers inked Jason Williams to back up Baron Davis at the point, it made sense that L.A.’s management wanted to get an insurance policy given the uncertainty of Shaun Livingston’s robotic leg. But it turns out that the Clippers offered Livingston a one-year guaranteed deal, which he turned down. Thus, L.A. had to go elsewhere, and ended up with J-Will.
Livingston, who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Clippers after the season, recently turned down a reported one-year guaranteed deal from the team.
“At this point and time, we had to move on,” Baylor said about re-signing Livingston. “Shaun is not ready to make a commitment.”
How could Shaun not be ready to make a commitment in his situation? Dude was only starting contact drills about a month ago, and hasn’t proved that he can endure the slightest bump.
If you’re Livingston, do you take a guaranteed one-year deal or try to make more money off of the legacy of being a lottery pick?
Source: LA Times
August 8th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
shake&bake says:
I think someone will sign him, but I don’t know how you turn down guaranteed money after you haven’t lived up to the hype yet and your leg snapped in half. The offer must have been extremely low.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
dagwaller says:
Guaranteed money.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Sam I Am says:
DUDE IS DUMB…
Ask Gerald Green if things were certain in the NBA.
Today’s economy he lucky he doesn’t end up working at the YMCA of LA
August 8th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Celts Fan says:
Take the guaranteed money! It’s not like anyone’s gonna give him more than 1 year or much more than the minimum. This is DUMB
August 8th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
JHov says:
I guess Livingston will be sitting on the bench on the IR in Greece..with a fat contract!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
GEE...Like Whoa! says:
He must feel is better than the Clips think. Wonder if it was the money or the years.
Still considering yo squad is still trying to put you on, he prolly should have take it. I am thinking he felt unwanted. You know you can feel when someone doesn’t really want you there or they don’t think you will turn out to produce.
Hope things go well for dude. Go to Houston young man.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Justice says:
maybe he just really wanted a bad start..but he could seriously end up unemployed easy unless he goes into a camp and kills,he might want to pack his bags for europe now
August 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Brown says:
This just proves how naive young players are these days. Anyone with half a brain cell would have taken that deal. He needs to prove he’s healthy if he’s going to continue his basketball career. I hope his agent’s not gassing him up telling him he’s got/will get offers from other teams. For the Clippers to even offer to keep him shows they weren’t willing to completely give up on him. Ain’t no loyalty these days.
I still say he should have went to college and let his game (and body) develop at a more natural pace. That decisions keeps looking worse for him.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Celts Fan says:
@GEE. Who cares if he feels unwanted. This isn’t like Favre, who was, you know, actually good. Livingston was just average before the knee went out. I wasn’t sipping the KoolAid others seemed to with him. To me, he was a wasted top 5 pick, he coulda been Devin Harris
August 8th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
nick says:
take the guaranteed money. who cares if it is low.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Ashlov says:
Livingston’s problem is going to be lateral movement. I just don’t see him being able to defend Oliver Miller from going to the hole at this point.
If he’s still worth a damn, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Heat picking him up.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
doc says:
If he gets more than the minimum or 1 year yall wont be calling him dumb.You never know he might be getting offers from other places overseas included and the Clips might’ve took theyself out the bidding.Its over 2500 owners out here who will give the kid a run.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Young Lebron 23 says:
@ 9 I agree with Devin Harris over Shaun now but, you have to agree that Livingston had more pure point guard talent than Harris and maybe talent overall.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
doc says:
Its easy for people who aint making Mills to say take the low money.He making it so he understand this ball business shit and its a process.You negotiate hard for what you worth and if you dont get it get more than what they wanted to give you in the first place.Thats the rule.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Logan Light says:
Cause dude wants to play with LeBron… can you blame him?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Celts Fan says:
I would never say take the low $ if you don’t think it’s enough WHEN HEALTHY, but his career may be over and he was offered a guaranteed deal. If there really are other offers floating around and he signs w/ someone else soon, we’ll know we’re all wrong, but I don’t really see a bunch of guys lining up to throw money and multiple years at a guy whose leg literally snapped like a twig 2 years ago.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Amar says:
does he have the same agent as cj miles?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
smity far away says:
well said doc,
well said Celts.
and i thought josh smith tryin to go to memphis was the biggest news/surprise of the day…we gon get a crazy trade next? rasheed to the spurs?
this reminds me of when eddie curry turned the bulls down on what seemed like at that time an unrefusable deal( guarantee that he was gonna be taken care of if he took care of their worries by getting a second opinion on his heart condition or something) but he signed with new york and got paid didnt he? so to comment on what doc was saying, he may know exactly what he doing and we can’t say that he doesnt until there proof that he either made a mistake or didnt…
tim duncan to the bulls?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Michorizo says:
Keep in mind that Livingston is still young and still rehabbing his leg (wether he thinks he is or not, the leg needs it). Maybe he holds off a little while longer and improves in individuall workouts to fool those GMs that love to base talent on pure workouts. He waits and receives a 3 year offer worth 1.5 million or he takes 600,000 now and then takes a shit for the team and rides the pine for a year, leaving no interest from any team after seeing him play the season hurt.
I think he is trying to get years on his contract that will be tough for him to get since he’s broke…risky, but it can and has happened in the past.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
nick says:
good point doc,
but what if his career is actually done and he can’t get contract offers worth what the clips gave him. I am pulling for the dude though. But ya gotta think the for sure money is better then hoping someone will toss more at ya or turning it down cause you think ya worth more.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Luigi says:
if someone signs patrick o bryant
then someone HAS to see something in this guy
August 8th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
the kid says:
i hope livingston knows what he’s doing. maybe he’s actually worth more than 1 year at the minimum salary? his rejecting this deal makes me wonder if he’s better than we all think.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
yoda says:
well, its not like he is poor, he has more then enough money from his rookie deal. someone in his position (unproven when healthy, always injured, smashed knee) would play one year for minimum wage, just to prove his knee is solid. as for him making millions in europe, i doubt he will get more money then clips offered him ( maybe in total will get more, due to lower taxes) but it would be around same amount. its less physical in europe, but still no one wants rich and probably spoiled one legged player. unless he is mj
August 8th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Kobeef says:
In Livingdton’s defense, Willie McGahee snapped his leg in two and is now playing football at a high level again. Apparently they had the same doctor.
When I saw the injury I thought he might not walk again but I thought the same thing with McGahee..who also rejected a few offers when he got healthy.
Let’s give Shaun some credit and see how it works out.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
doc says:
@nick if he cant get no more offers…he fucked up
August 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
GEE...Like Whoa! says:
Celts I am saying if dude felt unwanted that might have been his reason for being out, especially knowing they prolly didn’t and wasn’t going to go with him anyway. I don’t think it’s going to be like he is garbage all the sudden and if he doesn’t take that offer it’s the end of his basketball life.
Mind you he prolly can and will get on with another team or possibly overseas.
I agree he is taking a chance though, and I just hope it works out well for dude. I agree dude should have went on to college first like someone said earlier, and for me that is just on gp.
Didn’t Bonzi Wells miss out on a whole bunch of dollars because of his agent or was it that he had an offer for a lot of money and didn’t take it thinking he was better than the amount offered and ended up having to take even lower? I forget exactly.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
doc says:
yeah Gee Bonzi played himelf last year.He let his agent call the shots.Agents supposed to give you the basics and you call the shot.Bonzi let dude tell him he had offers and he was bullshitting.Bonzi fired his dumb ass though.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Eric says:
it just woulda been nice to see Shaun get a standing O from the clippers crowd and show thhat they are happy that he took the floor again - kinda like Nene after his return from testicular cancer.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Ace says:
that knee injury must have effected his head too. this man is coming off a terrible injury. he should have took the money, do good next year, and then look for the big money
August 8th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Kudabeen says:
Sixers:
Jason Smith Torn ACL. Out at least 6 months…
Sucks. He was looking like he would be a difference maker this year. I guess we should look at a young big like bringing back Shavlick Randolph or experimenting with David Harrison…
August 8th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Celts Fan says:
@GEE and Doc, ya, Bonzi played himself HARD. He turned down $33M over 5 years from the Kings and ended up getting $4M total for 2 years. The lesson as always (and one Ben Gordon needs to learn and one JSmooth seems to get) is that you take the most guaranteed money you can, and after that contract, then you can be picky over the extra few million, after you’ve got your big, set-for-life contract.
We all think Smooth got a few mil under what we thought, but in the end, Josh just set himself up for the rest of his life today and will make $58mil. We thought it’d be $70, but $58’s not exactly gonna leave him at the Salvation Army. Now that he’ll be all set, he can afford to haggle over that extra $10M next time (when he’ll still only be like 27. That should be when he gets that max deal some people were speculating he may’ve got this summer.)
August 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
daquest?on says:
this dude is crazy i bet latrell sprewell was thinking the same thing, where is latrell now????? broke,old and out of a job.. this is the latrell syndrome
August 8th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
marcus the great says:
i still haven’t seen this injury, and i know all about it. heard about and i’m still scared to watch it cuz of how nasty its rumored to be.
that bein said, i don’t understand turnin down definite money UNLESS he’s got offers elsewhere
August 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
GEE...Like Whoa! says:
Celts that is true on J SmOoth I just hope Shaun is doing the right thing.
Marcus go you tube it…..it was that nasty. I think I was eating dinner at the time I seen it and it stopped me chewing QUICK! My mouth was open and full of food and I was like crap!
You gotta see it.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Sir Charles says:
LMAO OLIVER MILLER
August 8th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Knicksinsix says:
Maybe it’s a matter of principles. Maybe he doesn’t want the money or contract because he can’t play like he needs to right now. Everyone saying he should have took the money would be coming down on him hard if he did and it had negative effects on the Clips (counting against cap, wasted roster spot). Society makes it too much about the dollars and therefore our principles are shot. If my theory is the case let’s not ridicule Shaun but applaud him for wanting to earn his money. Maybe he can start a trend.
August 9th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
smearthebeard says:
Very good sources say the WARRIORS are making him a two year offer and the possibility of becoming the starting point guard ont he leagues most exciting teams. He is vieweed as the perfect partner to Monat Ellis. best young backcourt int he business. The reason he did not sign with Clips had ntohign to do with money it had to do with he WAS NOT going to be a back up point guard and he knew with Davis signed up for 5 years, he was stuck as a No.2.
With the Warriors ont he run he will be a starter!
August 10th, 2008 at 2:19 am
JAred says:
HELLO MCFLY< ANYONYE THERE??? Shaun has not played in a year and half. Stupid of him, and another prize LOTTERY pick for clippers thrown away…
August 10th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
jace says:
if ur shaun livingston… u take any deal that comes ur way. i mean.. how much leverage do u have in a negotiation when you havent proved ANYTHING yet. yes we saw a couple of glimpses of potential in u.. but not much.. i think kwame brown and darko milicic had more glimpses. thing is.. they havent had a major injury like u.. so u might as well take that crappy deal and make the best of it. get a new contract the next year. stop being greedy.