Timberwolves fans, how does this sound? A 28-year-old, 6-foot-9 forward that’s shot 37 percent from 3 throughout his career?
Minnesota is reportedly closing in on a deal for Omri Casspi, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. Casspi started the year with the Sacramento Kings, but was traded to New Orleans as part of the DeMarcus Cousins deal – only to be waived after breaking his thumb in his Pelicans debut.
Casspi has been a free agent since, and was expected to miss about four weeks, the AP reported at the time.
Twenty-two days later, he appears on the verge of an NBA roster comeback with the Wolves. Stein said head coach Tom Thibodeau “made a personal recruiting pitch” to Casspi before Minnesota’s game in New Orleans Sunday.
Boston was also in the running for Casspi, but the Wolves appear to have jumped ahead because of injuries, Stein added – specifically the recent loss of backup forward Nemanja Bjelica for the season, plus Zach LaVine’s absence.
The deal could be finalized Monday, Stein said.
Casspi holds a reputation as a good shooter throughout his career, which has included two stops in Sacramento, plus stints in Cleveland and Houston. He’s settled into a solid bench role, averaging about 21 minutes and 8.4 points per game for his career on 44 percent shooting. He’s also good for about 4 rebounds per game.
Writer Danny Leroux wrote a piece a last week saying the Warriors should sign him – and used this shot chart as the main evidence.
My piece arguing why the #Warriors should *eventually* sign Omri Casspi is now up on @AthleticNorCal: https://t.co/vbqTuslHae pic.twitter.com/DvoICoBSPq
— Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) March 13, 2017
His presence could be a boost for Minnesota’s bench, which is fairly depleted after LaVine’s injury pushed Brandon Rush into the starting lineup and Bjelica went down.
The team is also losing Lance Stephenson soon, ESPN reports – his second 10-day contract is up and, after struggling with an ankle injury, the Wolves have opted to move on instead of signing him for the rest of the season.
