Omri Casspi Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Rumors: Thompson, Warriors, Cousins, Casspi

November 15th, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The anatomy of a bad trade rumor was on display earlier this week, as CSNNE analyst Brian Scalabrine suggested during a radio appearance that he’d heard a possible deal involving the Warriors, Klay Thompson, and the Celtics could be on the table. As it turns out, Scalabrine was simply passing along speculation he had read on a blog, rather than reporting anything substantial.

As Sam Amick of USA Today writes, a source quickly shot down the idea that the Warriors are entertaining any trade talks involving Thompson with the Celtics or anyone else. Meanwhile, one team executive told Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link) that his club had talked to Golden State about Thompson, but that exec didn’t get the impression that the Warriors had any interest in moving him. The Dubs could use some defensive help, particularly around the rim, but the idea of trading one half of the Splash Brothers to beef up that interior defense appears to be a non-starter — for now, at least.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders takes a closer look at the trade rumors surrounding Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, concluding that neither the Warriors nor the Kings are likely to make a move with their stars anytime soon. Regarding the Warriors, Kyler says that the team’s plan for this season is to keep its core together, potentially adding a small complementary piece at some point.
Although he has denied a report suggesting he asked the Kings to trade him, Omri Casspi admits he’s somewhat frustrated by his new role – or lack thereof – under head coach Dave Joerger, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I didn’t think I’d go from playing 27 minutes to being out of the rotation,” Casspi said. “It is what it is. I’ve got to be a pro about it. … What goes through my mind is I can help this team win. I might be here today, and I’ve got to stay ready. I might be somewhere else. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.” Casspi was reportedly scheduled to meet with GM Vlade Divac on Monday to discuss his status.
The Suns didn’t have massive expectations for Devin Booker when they selected him 13th overall in the 2015 draft, but just a year and a half later, the future of the franchise is tied to the young guard’s development, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

Pacific Notes: Deng, Casspi, Bender

November 14th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers offseason signee Luol Deng has struggled so far this season, but the forward’s shooting and scoring woes don’t worry coach Luke Walton, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “Everyone is going to get different amounts of shots from different areas each night. It is harder in that sense to know when your shots are coming,” Walton said. “But he’s a professional, in the gym and working every day before practice and staying afterwards getting treatment. I’m not concerned with him starting to knock down his shot again.”

No matter what the stat sheet says regarding Deng, his leadership and professionalism are qualities that Walton is benefiting from on a daily basis, Medina writes. Deng’s former coach, Tom Thibodeau, also raved about the forward’s intangibles, telling the scribe, “The best leadership is really the things that you do. Often times guys will say all the right things and do none of them. Luol is not overly vocal, but when there’s something important to be said, he’ll say it.”

Here’s more from out of the Pacific Division:

Kings forward Omri Casspi, who has been mentioned in recent trade rumors, has a meeting scheduled for today with team executive Vlade Divac, Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 reports (via Twitter). Casspi, 28, has seen his playing time cut dramatically under new coach Dave Joerger, but he believes that he can help the team win, Cunningham adds.
Suns rookie Dragan Bender‘s offensive skills are his calling card, but the young big man understands that it is his defensive development that will determine his playing time, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “I learned the hard way,” Bender said. “I came to a big club [Maccabi Tel Aviv] and thought I didn’t need to play defense because of the shooting ability and everything. But once the coach puts you on the bench and freezes you for a couple games, you realize as a young guy you have to come inside and play defense and bring the energy. Defense is just a will. It’s just a matter if you want to play it or not. You have to follow the coaches’ instructions about how you’re going to defend those teams. It doesn’t matter if you’re weak or have less muscles than those guys, you just have to fight with them for better position and get them out of there.”

Kings’ Omri Casspi Denies Asking To Be Traded

November 12th, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The agent for Kings forward Omri Casspi met with team officials this week, but Casspi denieds that a trade was requested, according to James Ham of CSNBayArea.

Several media outlets reported today that Casspi wants out of Sacramento, but he denied that in a text message sent to CSN. “Zero truth to that,” he wrote. “Zero.”

Casspi, 28, has seen his playing time cut dramatically under new Kings coach Dave Joerger. After starting 21 of 69 games in which he appeared last season and averaging 27.2 minutes per night, Casspi’s minutes have been sliced almost in half.

An injured hip and an illness limited him in training camp, as newcomers Matt Barnes, Anthony Tolliver and Garrett Temple all moved ahead of him in the rotation. Casspi has gotten into just six of the team’s 11 games and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per night.

Now in his eighth NBA season, Casspi will be a free agent next summer after making $3MM this year. He started his career with the Kings in 2009/10 and rejoined the franchise in 2014/15.

On Friday, there were reports that Sacramento was “open to moving” Willie Cauley-Stein, who has also seen his playing time reduced under Joerger.

Pacific Notes: Collison, Gay, Watson, Lacob

September 28th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings coach Dave Joerger said the uncertainty surrounding point guard Darren Collison isn’t affecting the team yet, but he hopes for a ruling from the league soon, relays Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Collison is likely to be suspended after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery involving his wife. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 20 days in jail, which can be served through alternative sentencing. “If it lingers on two more, three more weeks, it’ll have an effect,” Joerger said. “But for now, it’s so much basic stuff anyways, foundation stuff, it’s general.” The Kings recently signed Ty Lawson as insurance in case Collison receives a long suspension.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

If the Kings trade Rudy Gay, there are limited options on the roster to take his place as the starting small forward, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Trade rumors are swirling around Gay again after he announced last week that he plans to opt out of his contract next summer. Ham believes Gay will be dealt before February’s trade deadline, and the Kings aren’t guaranteed to get a small forward in return. If that happens, Omri Casspi, Matt Barnes and Garrett Temple are most likely to take his place.
The Suns‘ Earl Watson is emphasizing defense and communication in his first training camp as a head coach, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Watson took over the team in the middle of last season and quickly won the loyalty of players, who petitioned GM Ryan McDonough to keep him in the position. “He doesn’t hold nothing back,” said Eric Bledsoe. “If you’re messing up, he’s going to let you have it. That’s what you want out of a coach – to get on you. You gain so much respect by doing that. His enthusiasm, excitement and everything about him is bringing the team together.”
Kent Lacob is the new GM of the Warriors‘ D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced in a press release. He joined the organization last year as Golden State’s coordinator of basketball operations.

Kings Notes: Gay, McLemore, Cousins, Casspi

August 13th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat could be interested in a Rudy Gay trade if the Kings are willing to wait until after December 15th, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. That’s the date when the free agents that Miami added to its roster this offseason are eligible to be moved. Gay’s salary would require the Heat to send back about $13.3MM, which means point guard Goran Dragic would probably have to be included, and Miami doesn’t seem inclined to part with him. By waiting until mid-December, Winderman notes, the Heat will have a better feeling for how much Chris Bosh will be able to contribute and whether Justise Winslow will have to spend more time at power forward, which would create a greater need to have Gay on the roster.

There’s more tonight out of Sacramento:

The Kings almost certainly won’t negotiate a rookie contract extension with shooting guard Ben McLemore, contends Bobby Marks of The Vertical. McLemore, who was drafted in 2013, is the only Sacramento player eligible for the extension before this year’s October 31st deadline, but Marks says the Kings have been trying to trade him for more than a year. McLemore averaged 7.8 points in 68 games last season and will have a $1oMM cap hold next offseason.
DeMarcus Cousins will become eligible for a contract extension on September 30th, Marks notes in the same piece. The Kings’ all-star center still has two seasons and more than $35MM left on his current deal, but he can agree to an extension at the end of September because it will be three full years from his when the contract was signed. If he takes an extension, Cousins would be limited to 7.5% raises from his $18,063,850 salary in 2017/18, so it’s more likely that he waits for free agency.
Omri Casspi sees improved camaraderie as a key to ending Sacramento’s 10-year run of missing the playoffs, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Casspi is touring Israel this week with Gay and a group of former NBA players and celebrities. “We’ve added some good guys, some good quality players and quality individuals to our locker room, which is important, I think,” Casspi said. “The great teams in the NBA have great locker rooms.Just in general we need to start making strides, try to make the make playoffs. With a new coaching staff, we need to make a big stride forward.”

Pacific Notes: Looney, Casspi, Livingston

April 23rd, 2016 at 11:45am CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors combo forward Kevon Looney underwent a successful left hip arthroscopy on Friday to repair a torn labrum, the team announced. Looney will begin rehabilitation from the surgery immediately and is expected to be out a minimum of four to six months before returning to basketball activity, per the team. This is the second such procedure that Looney has endured, the first occurring in August of last year. The 20-year-old was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft and he appeared in just five games for the Warriors this year, averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 4.1 minutes per outing. Looney also appeared in 12 games for the team’s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, posting averages of 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in 19.3 minutes.

Here’s more from out West:

Kings small forward Omri Casspi lamented the firing of coach George Karl and blamed the players for the team’s woes this season, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). Casspi, who is under contract for $2,963,814 next season, believes he will be a part of the team’s plans moving forward, Pick adds. “The Kings want me back next season, I’m not sure who the coach will be, but I’m adaptable, I’m comfortable in most systems,” Casspi told Pick. “I’m confident I’ll be back in Sacramento next season.”
Shaun Livingston, whose $5,782,450 salary for 2016/17 is partially guaranteed for $3MM, wants to remain with the Warriors next season and beyond, notes Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group. “I want to stay here as long as I can,” Livingston said. “It’s a unique and special situation. A lot of guys including myself, I want to [be] here for as long as I possibly can depending on the contract situation.”
Former Clippers team owner Donald Sterling is appealing the dismissal of his $600MM antitrust lawsuit against the NBA and his wife, Shelly Sterling, as Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times. U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin had ruled against Sterling, noting that he was “skeptical Sterling suffered any injury at all, let alone an antitrust injury” by the sale of the team for $2 billion to Steve Ballmer, Fenno adds, also noting that the judge called other parts of the lawsuit implausible.

Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Wade, James, Bosh

February 14th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There will be plenty of shooters on the trade market this week, but the Heat may have to give up center Hassan Whiteside if they want a more complete player, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Three-point shooting has been a problem in Miami all season, and Winderman lists the Thunder’s Steve Novak and Anthony Morrow, the Kings’ Omri Casspi and the Nets’ Wayne Ellington as possibilities if the Heat want an inexpensive solution. But he points out that coach Erik Spoelstra rarely relies on one-dimensional shooters, and says the Miami front office may be looking for something more. With Marc Gasol out indefinitely, the Grizzlies might have interest in Whiteside, even though he is only months away from free agency, Winderman posits. Whiteside and filler [such as Chris Andersen] could bring back Courtney Lee, Winderman speculates, while throwing in some more salary could be enough to land Jeff Green.

There’s more news out of Miami:

There is an increased feeling in the front office that trading Whiteside might be the best move for the franchise, Winderman writes in the same story, but he adds that Whiteside’s representatives aren’t expecting a deal.
Even before Whiteside made waves with his nationally televised ejection this week, Heat officials were having doubts about signing him long-term, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami expects Whiteside’s next contract to start at $17MM or more, and there are questions within the organization about whether that’s a wise investment. Jackson cited two sources who say the team is considering a Whiteside trade.
A reunion with LeBron James in the All-Star Game — the first time they have been teammates since James left the Heat in 2014 — is bringing back memories for Dwyane Wade, writes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Miami’s Big Three was almost completely back together, but Chris Bosh had to pull out of tonight’s game with a strained right calf. Wade said the roster upheaval in Miami has changed the atmosphere in the locker room. “We all can deal with each other’s success and failures and family things a lot differently than what we deal with now with younger teammates that grew up watching us play like fans,” he said. “It was cool playing with our peers, guys that we came into the league with. That’s a totally different relationship.”

Heat Interested In Casspi, Kings Like Tyler Johnson

February 10th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have explored trading for Omri Casspi as they seek to upgrade their 3-point shooting, while the Kings are interested in Tyler Johnson, even though he’s out for at least two months and perhaps the rest of the season with a torn left rotator cuff, reports Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald. Miami has been aggressive in seeking to trade a player at the end of its bench, particularly Chris Andersen and Jarnell Stokes, in an effort to avoid tax penalties, fellow Herald scribe Barry Jackson hears, though the team acknowledges that offloading Stokes, who makes the minimum, is more likely than with Anderson and his $5MM salary, Jackson adds.

It’s unclear if the Heat and Kings have discussed proposals, though a Casspi-Johnson exchange would have to include more salary going from Miami to Sacramento, since Casspi’s salary of more than $2.836MM exceeds the minimum salary that Johnson has. Even the addition of Stokes’ minimum salary wouldn’t quite be enough to make a legal deal. Conversely, a trade that sends Andersen to the Kings for Casspi wouldn’t work because it would represent too much salary headed to Sacramento.

Regardless, Casspi is knocking down a career-high 42.2% of his 3-point looks this season, the first on his two-year, $5.8MM contract, so he’d no doubt help a Miami team that’s 26th in 3-pointers made. Johnson was one of the Heat’s most accurate long-range shooters before going out with injury, nailing 38.6% of his attempts. He’s a native of Mountain View, California, and he went to Fresno State, both of which are close to Sacramento. Johnson, who turns 24 in May, is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, but he’s subject to the Gilbert Arenas Provision, which would make it more difficult for a team to poach him in free agency.

The Heat have reportedly been trying to trade Andersen off and on for months but evidently haven’t found a trading partner. Stokes has only totaled 14 minutes at the NBA level compared to nearly 500 in the D-League since coming over from the Grizzlies in the Mario Chalmers trade. Miami is approximately $5.5MM above the $84.74MM luxury tax threshold and faces repeat-offender tax penalties if it can’t duck under the line by the last day of the regular season, though next week’s trade deadline represents the team’s last realistic opportunity to do so.

Kings Notes: Cousins, Hunter, Casspi

December 26th, 2015 at 2:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins have bonded as teammates and the Kings hope that some of Rondo’s ability to shrug off criticism rubs off on the big man, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “He’s 25 out here with a lot of pressure, the franchise on his back,” Rondo said. “He’s a strong individual. Me coming in, I just want to help him along the way, make some of the right decisions, push forward and continue to be a good person.” One benefit Rondo’s presence provides Cousins is that he removes some of the pressure from the center to be the face of the franchise, a role that the point guard understands and is comfortable with, Jones adds. “With [Cousins’] leadership and responsibility, it’s a big part to our team,” Rondo said. “I can’t put all the pressure on him. He accepts the pressure and I accept a lot of the pressure. It starts with both of us. I’m the quarterback in the front, he’s the quarterback in the back.”

Here’s more from out of Sacramento:

Kings training camp cut Vince Hunter is on the radar of a number of NBA teams for a possible 10-day contract thanks to his strong play in the D-League, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest tweets. Hunter is averaging 21.5 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Reno Bighorns, Sacramento’s D-League affiliate.
Omri Casspi, who re-signed with the Kings this past summer on a two-year, $6MM deal, has proven to be a bargain with his solid all-around play and the organization is thrilled with his high-energy style of play, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Omri played great for George [Karl] the second half of last season and we wanted to bring him back if we could,” said Kings executive Vlade Divac. “His threes are like layups now. I’m very happy it worked out so well for both of us.“

Pacific Notes: Chandler, Casspi, Lakers

December 13th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Tyson Chandler hasn’t played in nearly three weeks because of a hamstring injury, but the veteran is taking an optimistic view to the time off and he believes his time on the sideline will help him gel with his new team once he is able to return, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes.

“Everything happens for a reason sometimes and the injury gave me a different perspective,” Chandler said. “A lot of times, when you’re in the mix, you can’t pinpoint what’s going on because everything is going so fast and you’re out there too. Being out and watching Alex [Len], I see things. I see a lot of areas where we can improve.”

Chandler joined the Suns last summer, signing a four year, $52MM deal to be the team’s starting center. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Omri Casspi re-signed with the Kings on a two, year $6MM deal last summer, but the money was not the main reason he returned, as he tell Rob Mahoney of SI.com. “No. 1, I just like Sacramento. It’s the team that drafted me, and I just felt a good energy around the team and the fans and everything that was going on,” Casspi said. “I feel like it’s really a second home for me outside of my country, outside of Israel. And number two, when Coach [George] Karl stayed and signed a long-term deal, I felt like we had the right base to start winning games this year. DeMarcus is our go-to guy and he’s our star. It’s been a drought in Sacramento. I want to be a part of a winning situation and a team that’s building toward an NBA championship. I feel like we’ve got the right pieces, the right coach, and the right system in place. Now it’s about us coming together to start winning games.”
Sacramento has had more than its share of turnover in the front office in recent years, but Casspi believes the right people are in place now and he is a fan of what the front office did this offseason, as he tells Mahoney in the same piece. “Now we have a new GM in place. We need to get some stability from the top, and I feel like now we have everything in place. Vlade’s running the show and has a good team with him. I feel like he’s doing all he can to make this team successful. You bring in the right pieces, the right players — players that have been in winning situations — and you can have a winning culture. But right now we’re building it, and I think Vlade is the guy that it starts with. He brought in Rajon [Rondo], who won a championship, Kosta [Koufos] being in Memphis a few years and Denver where he won a lot of games, Marco [Belinelli] won in San Antonio. So you bring in the right pieces and you start building a winning culture, a winning mentality. That’s how you really go back to where the Kings need to be.”
The Lakers are just 3-20 on the season, but Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders believes the win-loss record isn’t the only reason Byron Scott is failing as a coach. Blancarte cites Scott’s choice for the rotation, which has given heavy minutes to veteran players, and his tendency to bench youngsters, like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, for mistakes they make in games rather than letting them play through their mistakes as reason for the pessimism.