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Woj: Shaun Livingston to sign three-year deal with Golden State Warriors

By Anthony Puccio
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Shaun Livingston has agreed to sign a three year, $16 million deal with the Golden State Warriors. The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski:

The news was quickly confirmed by Sam Amick and others. The Warrior offer is $6 million more than the Nets could offer.  The Nets knew keeping Livingston would be difficult after his breakout season with Brooklyn. Billy King seemed to be expecting what was coming from Livingston. "It's just free agency, it is what it is," King stated. "And I respect the face that guys have the ability as free agents to try to make as much money as possible.

King went on by saying, "I don't begrudge anybody. If Shaun gets a great deal, I'll be happy for him. I think he's earned it and he's come a long way. And if he gets a great deal, I told him, I said I'll be happy and hug you every time I see you and I'll appreciate the job you did this year.''

Signed with the vets minimum for one year, Livingston moved from back-up point guard to starter after Brook Lopez went down and Jason Kidd rejiggered the Nets starting lineup, playing Livingston and Deron Williams next to each other.

Livingston thanked Brooklyn fans in a tweet.

The Nets were ready to sign Jamal Tinsley, but Kidd and Lawrence Frank made it clear that they wanted Livingston. And of course, this week's saga didn't help the cause. David Aldridge touched on that:

Livingston averaged 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 76 games, easily his best season since he went down with a horrendous injury in 2004.  Now 28, this could be Livingston's last chance to cash in.

He goes to a team where his defense will be a big addition and where his lack of three-point range won't matter much, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson forming the best deep shooting duo in the NBA.

The signing will permit the Nets to use the mini-MLE --three years, $10.3 million-- on another player. One possibility is Bojan Bogdanovic, the 6'8" Croatian swingman who the Nets drafted three years ago and almost came over last summer. Although he has said he expects to return to Fenerbahce in Turkey, Bogdanovic has not signed a new deal and a new agent, Arn Tellem who represents several Nets, including Joe Johnson and Lopez.

Bogdanovic, however, is unlikely to be the only candidate for the exception that the Nets have used on Mirza Teletovic and Andrei Kirilenko the last two years.

Meanwhile, Marc Stein tweeted that the loss of Livingston is likely to stoke the Marcus Thornton - Jarrett Jack trade talks. The Cavaliers are trying to cut salary as it hopes or make a play for LeBron James.

Billy King told WFAN Tuesday that whether Livingston left or not, he will be looking for a veteran back-up point guard.

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