Warriors’ five best moves this offseason

2. Accepting backup guard Shaun Livingston‘s team option

The Golden State Warriors decided to keep Shaun Livingston, a player that provides so much leadership and versatility.

This move may not have been in all the headlines, but this was a very smart move by the Warriors considering how well Shaun Livingston played off the bench last season.

Livingston was one of the Warriors’ most productive bench players last season, averaging 6.3 points per game and 3 assists per game. More importantly he provides significant experience in the NBA and he played well in the playoffs last season.

Livingston’s team option gave him a slight raise, but he is still making under 6 million dollars next season, and that is a real steal if you ask me. The Warriors had to part ways with many of their bench players this off season including Festus Ezeli and Leandro Barbosa, but is was a good move to keep some of the bench intact this off season amidst the craziness of the Durant signing.

Next: GSW's bench coming together nicely

Another advantage of keeping Livingston is a “size advantage”, the 6’7” point guard is often a nightmarish mismatch for other teams to deal with as we saw in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last season where he lead the team to victory with 20 points.

Livingston gives the Warriors valuable versatility, allowing the team to switch everything defensively. He thrives in Golden State so it only makes sense that they keep him.

Next: The big one