Omri Casspi Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Nets, Celtics, Mavs, Barea

July 13th, 2013 at 12:07am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics had agreed last month to the framework of a trade that involved Paul Pierce, but not Kevin Garnett, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Then, Brooklyn GM Billy King asked Boston counterpart Danny Ainge whether Garnett would be available, too, and the deal began to morph into the nine-player swap that was finalized today. Here's more on an ever-changing NBA landscape:

The Mavs lost a pair of guards to injury, but they aren't interested in a trade that would bring back J.J. Barea, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), it's
worth keeping an eye on Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas, who may be NBA-bound next
month. Amick adds in a second tweet that Abbas is holding off on signing with a
Chinese team due to optimism about potential NBA workouts in August.
The Rockets hold the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou after acquiring him as part of the Thomas Robinson trade, but the Bucks are among other NBA teams with interest in the 6'9" Greek small forward who "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
With Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Omri Casspi all joining other teams, the Cavaliers renounced their rights to the trio today, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Cavs did the same with Luke Walton, who remains a free agent.

Rockets Rumors: Gibson, Brewer, Asik

July 6th, 2013 at 6:17pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Rockets have been the toast of the NBA's free agency period after agreeing on a deal for free agent Dwight Howard last night, but since the move they haven't rested on their laurels. General manager Daryl Morey has signed Omri Casspi from the Cavs, and re-signed Francisco Garcia.

But Morey and the Rockets aren't done as they're testing the waters to shore up their backcourt and figure out what to do with Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, who have been offered in trade packages as the Rockets look to team James Harden and Howard with a third superstar.

The offering of Lin and Asik comes despite reports from Ken Berger at CBSSports.com earlier today that the Rockets may keep Asik and Lin next year. Asik has already voiced his displeasure at staying in Houston to back-up Dwight at center.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that a rumored Pelicans sign-and-trade for Asik, which sources originally revealed to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnawrowski, hasn't even been discussed, and if it had the Pelicans would not be interested in the former Bulls center who took on a larger role with the Rockets this year. Let's look at a couple more rumored moves involving the Rockets this afternoon:

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says the Rockets are interested in the Nuggets' unrestricted free agent Corey Brewer (Twitter).
The Rockets are also looking at Houston native and Cavs free agent, Daniel Gibson, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, but cautions they're holding off on signing him for now.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that with the Mavs and Warriors both currently looking to sign Suns unrestricted free agent Jermaine O'Neal, the Rockets might also be in the running.
Because the Rockets signed Casspi and Garcia to two-year deals, they're not reimbursed for parts of contract over $884,293 tweets Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.

Cavs Will Not Extend Wayne Ellington QO

June 29th, 2013 at 10:03pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Cavs have elected to set free guard Wayne Ellington, reports Jason Lloyd of Akron-Beacon Journal. Ellington could have been given a qualifying offer of around $3.8MM, and he would have been a restricted free agent this summer, with the team able to match any offer for Ellington's services.

But Lloyd cautions that the Cavs would like Ellington to remain with the team, despite his status now as an unrestricted free agent. The Cleveland-Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer expressed surprise (twitter) at the decision not to extend Ellington a QO, but the Cavs remain high on him moving forward while viewing the decision as a strategic move to free up cap space, Lloyd notes.

The Cavs weren't expected to extend a qualifying offer to Omri Casspi either, and they haven't notes Boyer (Twitter). They Cavs are also unlikely to bring back Luke Walton.

Cavs Notes: Pekovic, Aldridge, Noel, Porter

June 1st, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier today that the Cavs aren't going after DeMarcus Cousins, and he has plenty more on Cleveland's team in his latest dispatch. He gets credit for the updates below, unless otherwise noted.

The Cavaliers have tried and failed to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and their alternative may be to go after center Nikola Pekovic, one of the leading restricted free agents. Cleveland has the cap room to make him an offer of $12MM or better, a price Wolves owner Glen Taylor has said he won't pay.
The Blazers have no interest in Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters or draft picks, and have turned down the Cavs' inquiries about LaMarcus Aldridge.
Nerlens Noel says he'll be ready to play around Christmas, but the Cavaliers don't think he'll be back from his ACL injury until February or March. The team remains undecided about whether Noel will be the No. 1 pick, and Amico confirms that Otto Porter is also in the mix for that selection.
Amico hears the Cavs are willing to trade up to nab Sergey Karasev in the middle of the first round if it doesn't look like he'll fall to them at No. 19. The Cavs are also high on Alex Len, and he could be theirs if they trade out of the No. 1 pick.
The Cavs like Shaun Livingston, but he's seeking a larger payday than the team wants to give him.
Omri Casspi and Luke Walton probably won't be re-signed, but the Cavs hope to bring back Wayne Ellington.
The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions in her mailbag column, and opines that Al Horford makes more sense as a trade target for the Cavs than Love or Aldridge do.

Odds & Ends: Magic, Noel, Stan Van Gundy, Curry

April 19th, 2013 at 10:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The future of the Kings was far from the only issue on the table at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting this week. USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt rounds up the other issues that owners discussed, including human growth hormone testing for players, the effect of widespread reliance on three-pointers, and the possibility of a joint bid for the 2015 All-Star Game between New York and Brooklyn. Here's more from the Association on the eve of the playoffs:

Magic GM Rob Hennigan has demonstrated a reluctance to pick up players with question marks surrounding their health, but Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel hears they wouldn't hesitate to draft top prospect Nerlens Noel, who tore his left ACL in February.
Schmitz also hears Stan Van Gundy has no interest in becoming the next coach of the Cavaliers, Sixers or Pistons, the three teams with current coaching vacancies. The former Magic coach has been linked to the openings in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Sixers assistant coach Michael Curry will interview for the head job in Philly, but a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that interest from other teams will be high.
Jamaal Tinsley started 32 games in place of the injured Mo Williams for the Jazz this season, and the 35-year-old Tinsley is convinced he has plenty left, telling Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune he "realistically" thinks he can play for another three or four years in the league (Twitter link).
A report earlier this season suggested Omri Casspi was thinking about returning to play in his native Israel, but he tells Walla Sport that as long as he receives an offer from an NBA club, he won't play overseas next season (translation via HoopsHype).
Mike Dunlap is rumored to be in danger of losing his job with the Bobcats, but the team is in no hurry to make its decision about him, preferring to listen to exit interviews and watch the coaching market develop first, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Warriors GM Bob Myers told Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group that he had every confidence Stephen Curry would remain healthy when he signed the point guard to his four-year, $44MM extension last fall.

Casspi Would Be ‘Really Happy’ To Return To Cavs

April 11th, 2013 at 8:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

It seems unlikely Omri Casspi will be back with the Cavaliers next season, given that we've heard he's no longer in the team's plans and could be headed to to play in Israel. There were conflicting reports early this season about whether he had requested a trade, but Casspi tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer that he wouldn't mind a return to Cleveland as a free agent this summer.

"One thing I learned is to not think about the future too much,'' Casspi said. "Take it one day at a time, one game at a time, play hard when you get the opportunity on both ends of the floor. That's what I'm trying to do. Whatever happens happens. I'll be really happy to be back. If not I'll find my way through the league. I'm happy that there's a lot of teams interested. Everything happens for a reason.''

Casspi would become a restricted free agent in the offseason if the Cavs extend a $3.3MM qualifying offer to him, but that probably won't happen, Boyer writes. If it doesn't, Casspi would become an unrestricted free agent. The former first-round draft pick's assertion that "there's a lot of teams interested" seems to conflict with what transpired around the buyout deadline, when the Rockets appeared to be the only team with legitimate interest. Of course, teams will have more flexibility in the summer, so it's possible more clubs could come after Casspi. The Israeli native may also have been referring to interest from overseas teams.

Casspi has seen his playing time and most of his other numbers decline in each season following his rookie campaign. That year, he averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game for the Kings, who drafted him 23rd overall in 2009. He's down to 3.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 10.8 MPG this season.

Brigham On Brooks, Buyouts, Bynum

March 2nd, 2013 at 12:47pm CST by Sean Highkin

Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld has a new column that surveys several topics from around the NBA, including info on several buyout candidates. Here are the highlights:

Brigham writes that Aaron Brooks was frustrated with his minutes with the Kings, leading to Sacramento's decision to buy him out. Brooks is expected to sign with the Rockets when he clears waivers.
The only team that showed interest in Omri Casspi was the Rockets, meaning a buyout did not make sense for Casspi and the Cavaliers.
Brigham disputes rumors that the Lakers were interested in Raja Bell, writing that although Bell has a relationship with Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash, the front office was hesitant to add yet more salary to the team's payroll.
Brigham writes that Andrew Bynum will command a max contract this summer, and it may be best for the Sixers to cut their losses rather than re-up with the oft-injured big man.

Cavs Won’t Buy Out Omri Casspi Before Deadline

March 1st, 2013 at 11:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:59pm: The Rockets' agreement to sign Brooks scuttled Casspi's willingness to accept a buyout from the Cavs, since it took away a likely destination, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

7:55pm: The Cavs won't buy out the remainder of Omri Casspi's contract before tonight's playoff-eligibility deadline, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The forward is unpleased with his scant playing time this season, a source tells Lloyd, and his representatives have been engaged in buyout talks with the team.

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald indicated this weekend that Casspi was no longer in the team's plans, and a report from the Israeli website Walla Sport indicated Casspi wanted to wait to have an offer lined up with another team before agreeing to a buyout, just like Raja Bell of the Jazz. That report from Casspi's native Israel pointed to the Grizzlies and Rockets as potential destinations, and ESPN's Marc Stein named the Rockets as a legitimate candidate to sign him if he were released, though Houston might be reluctant to do so now that they're set to sign Aaron Brooks.

Casspi is averaging a career-low 11.4 minutes per game this year, and his numbers have declined virtually across the board in each season since his rookie campaign in 2009/10. That year he put up 10.3 points in 25.1 minutes per game for the Kings, who made him the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft. Casspi's currently making $2.277MM in the final year of his rookie-scale contract, but it's no certainty that the Cavs will tender him the $3.3MM qualifying offer required for the team to match offers for him this summer. Without that qualifying offer, Casspi would become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Omri Casspi, Cavs Engaged In Buyout Talks

February 28th, 2013 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have engaged in talks about a possible buyout with Omri Casspi, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link). According to Stein, a deal that would see Casspi part ways with the Cavs is possible before tomorrow's buyout deadline.

We passed along a report from Israeli website Walla Sport earlier this week that suggested Casspi was seeking a buyout from the Cavs, and Bob Finnan of the News-Herald has indicated that the forward is no longer in the team's plans. As is the case with Raja Bell and other buyout candidates, however, Casspi is unlikely to agree to give up any money owed to him by the Cavs unless he knows he has another job lined up. According to Stein (via Twitter), the Rockets are a legit suitor for Casspi, though Houston just filled its 15th roster spot by signing Tim Ohlbrecht, so the club would have to release someone on a guaranteed contract to make room.

Since entering the NBA with the Kings in 2009/10, Casspi has seen his minutes, PPG, and PER decrease in each of his four seasons. The 24-year-old, who is earning $2.28MM this season, is set to hit free agency this summer. If the Cavs hang on to him, they'll have the option to make him a one-year qualifying offer, ensuring that he's a restricted free agent, but the club is more likely to simply let him walk.

Players hoping to change teams before season's end and be eligible for the playoffs have until tomorrow night to negotiate buyouts with their current teams. Any players waived after March 1st won't be postseason-eligible if they sign with another club.

Omri Casspi No Longer In Cavs’ Plans

February 24th, 2013 at 10:34am CST by Chuck Myron

The Israeli website Walla Sport published a report indicating that Omri Casspi would like a buyout from the Cavs within the next few days (translation via HoopsHype), and Bob Finnan of The News-Herald wouldn't be surprised if that takes place. The 6'9" forward is no longer in the team's plans, Finnan writes. Casspi's rookie-scale contract expires at the end of the season, and, as Finnan already reported, he's not expected to re-sign with Cleveland this summer.

There were conflicting reports last month about whether Casspi asked for a trade, though at the time the 24-year-old professed happiness about being in Cleveland. Casspi appeared a likely trade candidate before the deadline, and drew interest from the Spurs this week. The Walla Sport report said Casspi is waiting to have a deal in place, ideally with the Grizzlies or Rockets, before accepting any buyout offer from the Cavs.

Casspi had his appendix removed this weekend, according to the Plain Dealer (Twitter link), a painful sidenote to a season of minimal impact in Cleveland. His points, rebounds, assists and minutes per game, as well as his field goal percentage, have declined each year from his rookie season, when he was a double-figure scorer and started 31 games for the Kings. Sacramento traded the 24th overall pick in the 2009 draft to the Cavs two years ago, and this season Casspi is putting up just 4.0 PPG in 11.4 MPG.

The Cavs can tender a $3,313,480 qualifying offer this summer to retain their right to match offers for Casspi, but it doesn't appear likely they'll do so. Casspi may return to his native Israel play, as Finnan reported a few weeks ago.