Shaun Livingston to the Heat? "A dead issue" for now.
Heat president Pat Riley called signing point guard Shaun Livingston a "dead issue," because Miami has no open roster spots.
Riley said Tuesday he still is intrigued by Livingston--drafted by the Clippers with the 4th pick in 2004--but no signing is imminent. "We're hopeful but we have to wait. Everyone has to be patient if that's going to happen."
One of the main issues is salary cap space. The Heat is $415,000 under the luxury-tax threshold so the Heat would need to create space. Another question is whether Livingston could contribute this year--or in the future. He suffered a horrific knee injury in February 2007 and has not played since. He injured almost every part of his left knee, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus. He also sprained the medial collateral ligament, dislocated his patella and tibia-femoral joint. He sustained the injury after landing awkwardly following a missed layup. Doctors initially told him he might have to have part of his leg amputated.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trailblazers had been interested recently in Livingston too, but Portland passed on him and Monday Minnesota vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said that Livingston had chosen to sign with Miami. Asked whether Livingston was on his way to Miami, Riley said Tuesday afternoon, "not right now...he was here 10 days ago."
Livingston was a topic of interest during the Clippers media day, particularly since free agent acquisition and former Heat point guard Jason Williams abruptly retired last week. Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy noted the Clippers offered Livingston a two-year contract (the first year guaranteed and second year a player option) that he turned down.
Would the Clippers reach out to Livingston again?
``I don't think we need to. They know where we stand," Dunleavy said, according to the L.A. Daily News. "We still like Shaun a lot.''
Dunleavy watched him work out this summer.
"He looked good," Dunleavy said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "That's not the issue. What you don't know is how he'll hold up."
Would you like the Heat to sign Livingston? Is he worth the risk?