HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Cavs’ most prominent free agents are guards Wayne Ellington and Shaun Livingston and center Marreese Speights. The Cavs would like to sign Ellington. That means presenting him a qualifying offer of $3 million. It’s not as easy with Speights. It appears as if they hope he opts out of his deal. He might not fit their culture. Livingston emerged as a top-notch backup point — not quite as good as Golden State’s Jarrett Jack — but still a quality guard, nonetheless. He’ll likely ask for $3 million or $4 million, and settle for something like $2 million or $2.5 million, a source said. Morning Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Free Agency, Shaun Livingston, Wayne Ellington, Marreese Speights 

Livingston has made the best of a heartbreaking situation, remaining relevant despite the star label quickly fading following the injury. He can relate to Ware, having to deal with looks of sympathy and compassion and murmurs of what might have been if his leg had not collapsed. “Just the passion to play the game is what kept me going,” he said. “If you’re passionate about something and you work hard for it, even though the face of adversity. I am a man of faith and faith is not always supposed to happen and what you see, sometimes it’s just walking that path. Everybody has their own path and I believe everything happens for a reason and you kind of just rock with it.” Boston Globe

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

He has walked the road Ware is about to embark, an arduous rehabilitation filled with self doubt, constant visions of that night, and questions about your durability and desire. “I would say stay away from the public’s opinion,” Livingston said when asked what advice he would offer Ware. “Just stay strong with his faith and focus on the positives. “Obviously everything is going to be about what he can’t do, his limitations and all that. He has to focus on the positives, moving forward. That’s the way he’s going to make progress.” Boston Globe

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

Gary Washburn: Shaun Livingston tells Globe he'll reach out to Louisville's Kevin Ware "but I'll give him some time right now, there's a lot going on." Twitter @GwashNBAGlobe

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

He did not catch much of the Louisville-Duke game, and definitely not the part that made some people turn away, and you can probably imagine why. "I didn't see my own injury," said Shaun Livingston, "so I don't want to see anyone else's." SportsonEarth

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

"I guess that's the way things are today," he said, shaking his head and steering his left leg, the one with the five-inch scar, from an ice bucket in the visitor's locker room. "It's shock value. You don't see stuff like that every day, so it creates a buzz when it happens. It's a negative situation at the expense of somebody else, so that makes it OK, I guess. That's what I don't like. And that's why I focus on the positive." Livingston paused. "And that's what he should do, too. Feed off the positive energy." SportsonEarth

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

Scott saw Livingston's injury and Ware's injury, and that was two more than he cared to witness. He said: "Watching the Louisville game, I went back to Shaun's injury and I think Shaun's was worse. It's been tough for him. Coming out of high school, everybody thought he was a can't-miss guy." SportsonEarth

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

He turned his phone off, "changed my numbers," he said. People were well-meaning but he just didn't want to re-live it, to provide constant updates, to deal with the silent and awkward pauses in conversations. He leaned on family, close friends, his faith and, mostly, his love for basketball. That kept him going. "A lot of the process is mental," Livingston said. "That's what's going to bring you back." SportsonEarth

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Injuries, Kevin Ware 

Yet with his team struggling down the stretch, Scott elected not to use one of his three remaining timeouts after Pierce brought the Celtics within 92-91 with a 7-foot fadeaway with 32 seconds left. Instead, Livingston missed a 10-footer with 10.9 seconds left and Jordan Crawford got the rebound with 9.9 seconds left, paving the way for the game- winning play. Asked why he didn't take a timeout, Scott said: "I knew what they were going to do. They were going to switch everything anyway. It was going to be pretty much the same as what we ended up with. Shaun was going to have the ball, or Wayne was going to have the ball and try to make a play. I thought Shaun got a good look. Got it right in the paint, about a 10-footer. He just missed it." And the Cavs missed another chance. "We have to hold ourselves accountable," Ellington said. "We're all professionals here and should all be communicating with each other and helping each other on the defensive end of the floor.'" Cleveland Plain Dealer

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Byron Scott, Shaun Livingston, Jordan Crawford 

Shaun Livingston thought he had done enough to have made the Rockets roster, but was not at all surprised when he didn’t. Livingston said the Rockets “absolutely” made a decision based on his contract rather than his play. Livingston, who returned with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, had just $1 million of the $3.5 million remaining on his contract guaranteed and was among the Rockets’ final cuts, though Rockets coach Kevin McHale acknowledged that he had strongly advocated that the Rockets keep Livingston’s experience as a backup point guard. Houston Chronicle

Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Shaun Livingston 

“I was not really surprised,” Livingston said. “There were rumors of that type of situation unfolding. It’s frustrating, but at the same time, it’s part of the business and it’s a part of being professional. “It’s no secret that’s (Rockets general manager) Daryl Morey’s strategy, how he is known. He is very complex with the cap and how he does things. It could end up working out for the best for them. I’ve been a victim of circumstances this season. That’s been my theme this season.” Houston Chronicle

Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, Shaun Livingston 

McHale had hoped he would be doing that for the Rockets, but the Rockets kept rookie Scott Machado and his non- guaranteed contract. “He’s a great guy,” McHale said. “Knows how to play. He’s past so much of the stuff he had to get past as a young player to be a team player. He just has a whole vibe about him that’s great. “I was advocating very hard for his influence.” Houston Chronicle

Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Shaun Livingston 

Livingston has enjoyed his time in Cleveland and coach Byron Scott conceded he has been a fan of Livingston’s for years, but it’s doubtful at this point Livingston returns next season. He has rejuvenated his career in Cleveland and will likely receive interest from other teams. He has made it clear he will play for the highest bidder next season, and that probably won’t be the Cavs. Until then, Livingston will have perhaps the final 19 games this season to prove to teams he is worth more than a veteran’s minimum deal next year. “It’s a blessing that he’s healthy and playing well,” Scott said. “He stuck with it through all the hard times that he’s had to face with the surgery and the [knee] injury that he had. To be able to be back at this point in his career is unbelievable. It just shows the type of courage and grit and determination that he has as a basketball player.” Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

It’s clear Livingston didn’t enjoy his time in Washington. He had been there once before, but when the Rockets released him at the end of training camp, the Wizards again inquired early in the season. With few other options available, Livingston agreed to return to the Wizards. “Probably one of the worst spots I’ve been in my career,” Livingston said of his time in Washington. “At the same time, it’s been a godsend here.” Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

“I knew it wasn’t necessarily the best fit for me,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just about the fit. … I’m not a guy who goes out and gets 30 a game. I’m trying to make guys better and it just wasn’t bonding.” Akron Beacon Journal

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

The 6-7, 175-pounder hopes he's found a home in Cleveland. "It's been a good fit thus far," Livingston said. "I just have to play it out. That's all you can control is your job on the court. In my nine years, that's one of the most valuable lessons I've learned." He'd like to return to Cleveland next season. "They have to make a decision," he said. "I can't control that. I'm happy. I hope they feel the same way." The Peoria, Ill., native said he thinks he's made the best of this opportunity. "Every new opportunity for me is great with my past and my history," Livingston said. "I look forward to it. I take it as a challenge. I try to go in and make the most of it." News-Herald

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

Livingston knows all this. The battle is in his mind. The struggle is allowing his mind to trust his body. There is no room for hesitation in the NBA. "How will you ever know if you don't approach it with the same mind-set that you had before the injury happened?" Livingston said. "It's tough. I'm still 27. I still feel like my prime is 28, 29. There is still potential left out there. But the league isn't getting any older. It's getting younger. I don't want to hold myself back. I do want to try and accomplish more. I do feel like I can accomplish more. I can do better. I can get better production on the court. But it is really going out there and doing it at this stage." Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

The ever-brash Cassell broke into the league more than a decade before Livingston and played extrovert to Livingston's introvert. They once shared the court in a game against Utah. Livingston took the ball out of bounds and nearly drew a five-second violation before signaling for a timeout. "I ripped into his ass," said Cassell, now an assistant with Washington. "He didn't speak to me for a couple of days because of the tone. I verbally went at him. I told him, 'I'm not going to be wide open with eight seconds left in a game. You've got to get the ball to me.' He took it personally. He didn't speak to me, but I didn't care. I've seen the change right there in him: getting guys in the right position, running the offense, not having to rely on me to bring the ball up when guys are on him. I just saw him start to take off from there." Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston, Sam Cassell 

Jasen Powell, the Clippers trainer, raced to Livingston before play stopped. Dr. Steven Shimoyama quickly followed. Livingston's knee looked like a pretzel, Shimoyama thought to himself. He could tell that Livingston had sustained a severe knee dislocation and wanted to lessen the agonizing suffering immediately. He prepared to pop the knee back into place, knowing the potential problems if it did not lock back in on the first attempt. Each subsequent attempt would have a lower rate of success than the last. The dislocation impaired the circulation to Livingston's foot; gangrene could set in if Shimoyama failed. Worse, failure could necessitate amputation. Shimoyama flexed Livingston's knee and hip to loosen up the hamstring so he would not fight muscle contractions as he tried to put the knee back into place. He placed an elbow on Livingston's knee to increase his pull. After a few seconds, the knee popped back into place.4 Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston 

He realized the gravity of his injury when he arrived at the hospital. A female doctor, Jones said, entered the room. She told Livingston he may be facing amputation. She'd yet to examine him, but after viewing Livingston's awkward landing on television — announcers warned squeamish viewers to turn away before showing replays — she prepared him for the worst. Wang, Jones said, told him that the doctor displayed unprofessionalism in saying this, whether she believed it or not. Wang asked the doctor to speak with him outside the room because she didn't want to administer a Doppler ultrasound to assess the circulation to his knee. Livingston eventually left the room for the test. Jones prayed, and while he did, a television in the room showed the replay of Livingston's injury. It was the first and only time Jones has seen it. He nearly broke down as he waited for Livingston. Grantland

Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaun Livingston