NBA Free Agents 2019: Predictions for Shaun Livingston, Jeremy Lin & More
With the 2019 edition of NBA free agency winding down, there aren't many notable players still floating around the open market. Pretty much all of the star players are gone, and if a team is going to land someone else before the end of the summer, it's going to be a role player.
Of course, teams need role players to function and to succeed, so it's completely unfair to think there isn't still value remaining in free agency. But what sort of value is out there, exactly?
Let's take a look at some of the top remaining free agents, along with predictions for their immediate futures.
Shaun Livingston
When it comes to remaining role players, few are as notable or as accomplished as 33-year-old point guard Shaun Livingston. Though he has always been a depth player at the NBA level, he's been good enough to play 14 seasons and be a part of three championship rosters.
Last season with the Golden State Warriors, Livingston averaged 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists while playing roughly 15 minutes per game.
Though he has mentioned retirement as a possibility, Livingston could be interested in making one last run with the team that drafted him in 2004—the Los Angeles Clippers.
"That would be awesome, the ideal fit," Livingston said, per Dave Reynolds of the Peoria Journal Star. "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."
The question, of course, is whether the Clippers have room for Livingston. They added both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason, and they have plenty of role players to support the duo already on the roster.
Livingston does have a vast amount of experience and a championship pedigree, though, so yeah, Los Angeles can probably squeeze him onto the back end of its roster.
Prediction: Livingston signs a one-year deal with the Clippers.
Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin is finally an NBA champion. Though he's long removed from his "Lin-Sanity" days with the New York Knicks, he managed to play a small role with the Toronto Raptors this past season and capture a title in the process.
The fact Lin only had a minor impact for Toronto, however—he averaged just 7.0 points in the regular season and saw virtually no playing time in the Finals—is working against him in free agency. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, teams are unsure if he can still be a viable point guard.
"The reality is that Lin's movement, at nearly 31, isn't what it once was. Teams are unsure if he still has the mobility to play such a demanding position," Stein wrote.
Lin himself has felt the pressure of being a fading NBA star.
"Free agency has been tough. Because I feel like, in some ways, the NBA has kind of given up on me," he said during an event in Taiwan. "I always knew if I gave anyone a reason to doubt they would."
The reality is likely that the league hasn't given up on Lin. Teams are simply going to look to younger players with upside or familiar players at this point in the offseason.
Lin has been a starting-caliber point guard for much of his career—he averaged 25 minutes and 18 points just two years ago—and he should land with a team looking for a second-unit leader once they've weighed other options.
The fact the market for Lin is cool is precisely why teams aren't jumping to sign him now.
Prediction: Lin lands a one-year deal before September.
J.R. Smith
His time-management mishap in the 2018 Finals aside, J.R. Smith is mostly remembered for his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He helped them win a title in 2016, and he remains one of the better veteran shooters in the NBA.
Yet, Smith remains a free agent, and arguably one of the best still available—at least for teams looking to add an outside shot. He only appeared in 11 games this past season but shot 37.5 percent from the field two years ago.
A reunion with LeBron James once seemed like a possibility, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported a couple of weeks ago that the Los Angeles Lakers are "unlikely" to add him. So far, they haven't, and Smith remains unsigned.
Smith can still find a home, but it may not be with a young up-and-coming franchise. He was shut down by the Cavaliers this past season, in part, because he wasn't happy with his role and the Cavs were afraid he'd negatively rub off on younger players.
Smith may not land with a team in the immediate future, either. As is the case with Lin, there isn't a strong market for him and there's no sense of urgency to sign him. It's more likely he'll be a last-minute addition for a team looking to fill a final roster spot.
Prediction: Smith remains unsigned through August.
