Omri Casspi’s odyssey—on his way out of Sacramento?

Unlike last season, I haven't written anything about Omri Casspi. Until now. That's in large part because the NBA's first-ever Israeli player is having a somewhat rough go of it in his second season.

Casspi had a solid rookie campaign in 2009-10. He played in 77 games, starting 31 of those, and averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game (for a team that won only 25 of 82 games). He got so hot in December 2009 (four straight 20-point games) that Sports Illustrated did a four-page feature story on him headlined "The New King of Israel."

But that was then and this is now.

This season, Casspi has simply been fighting for playing time. For example, in a Dec. 21 game against the Golden State Warriors, he played only eight minutes and scored just two points! In the past month, he has played more than 30 minutes in only two games.

He seems to be on Kings coach Paul Westphal's famous yo-yo string, something that affects many Kings players, as detailed in this extensive Dec. 8 report in an Israeli newspaper. (By the way, it's an excellent report, with insightful stats and NBA reporters offering frank opinions on the hot-and-cold Casspi, so check it out.)

Casspi is averaging 8.9 points per game this season, but he has started only eight of the Kings' first 32 games. To his credit, his numbers aren't bad considering he is mostly coming off the bench, and playing for a woeful Sacramento team with only 7 wins compared to 25 losses. He has scored 14 or more points in eight games (including season bests of 21, 20 and 20), but he also has had 13 games with five points or fewer -- in any particular game, it all seems to depend on whether he has a hot hand or cold hand from beyond the 3-point arc.  (Check out his game-by-game statistics by clicking here).

Now come rumors (from ESPN.com and other sources) that the Kings might be listening to other teams' offers to make a trade for Casspi before the NBA's trading deadline next month. He does present a threat from 3-point range that could be valuable to many teams, and several teams, notably the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks, are said to be interested. (Although he is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, up from 36.9 percent as a rookie, he has been inconsistent from 3-point territory: On Jan. 2, for example, against Phoenix he was 4-for-6; but he was 0-for-5 in a game last month and 1-for-5 in a game Jan. 9).

The Kings, and their owners, like having Casspi, not only as a player, but also as an ambassador for the game, both in the United States and in his native Israel. A few months ago, they picked up the option on his contract for next season. (His salary for this season is $1.25 million, and next year he will nearly double that to $2.3 million).

But Sacramento, last in the Western Conference, seems poised to start moving parts around. If the Kings truly are listening to offers for Casspi, as media reports indicate, and they can find a taker for him and get something they want in return, perhaps Casspi will be on his way out of Northern California.

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Here's the word from ESPN NBA expert Marc Stein:

"Stein Line HQ favorite Omri Casspi is also the subject of trade calls Sacramento is fielding, sources close to the situation say.  ... Casspi – depending on the quality of the offers – is a legit candidate to be moved before the Feb. 24 trading deadline. 

Among the teams that have registered interest in the NBA’s first-ever Israeli: Chicago and New York. 

The Bulls, in particular, like Casspi not only for his ability to shoot but also his experience in pressure situations after playing at the highest levels of the Euroleague with Maccabi Tel-Aviv as well as his defensive potential, believing that the energetic swingman would develop nicely on D under the guidance of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. The bonus: Casspi is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range this season – up from 36.9 percent as a rookie – to further squelch his pre-draft rep as a non-shooter. 

Yet there are obstacles for interested parties. Casspi is also a favorite of Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. Sources say Sacramento, furthermore, would likely insist on attaching a long-term contract from the Kings' roster (such as Francisco Garcia's) for the right to acquire Casspi, who’s earning a bargain $1.25 million this season. That could dissuade both the Bulls and the Knicks, with New York especially mindful of preserving salary-cap space for the summer. 

It’s likewise true, from the Bulls’ perspective, that Casspi would give them another shooter but can’t really be classified as a shooting guard, which is the position Chicago has been openly looking to upgrade with Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans as its current primary options. "

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And from ShalomLife.com: "Casspi’s relationship with Knicks superstar Amar’e Stoudemire is well known. Following a trip to Israel by Amar’e this summer, Casppi and him were in close contact and have developed a good friendship. Should Casspi be traded to the Knicks, he will quickly become one of the top fan favorites as New York hasn’t had a Jewish player since the early years of the NBA."

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