July 12, 2017 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Warriors sign Omri Casspi

The 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors have signed free agent forward Omri Casspi (OME-ree), the team announced Wednesday.

Casspi, 29, split the 2016-17 season between the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in 36 games (two starts) and averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.9 minutes per game. The 6’9” forward owns career averages of 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 499 career games (138 starts) over eight seasons with the Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Pelicans and Timberwolves.

Originally selected by the Kings with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Casspi averaged career highs of 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds with the Kings in 2015-16, posting career marks in three-pointers made (112) and three-point percentage (.409). He set single-game career highs with 36 points and nine three-pointers (9-of-12) on December 28, 2015 at Golden State, hitting 7-of-9 from long distance in the first half at Oracle Arena.

A native of Holon, Israel, Casspi played professionally in Israel for four seasons prior to becoming the first Israeli-born player to appear in an NBA game.

Casspi will wear #18 for the Warriors.

Cavaliers re-sign Kyle Korver

The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed guard Kyle Korver, the team announced Wednesday from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Korver (6-7, 212) joined the Cavaliers last season after being acquired via trade from the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 7. In 35 games (one start) with Cleveland, he averaged 10.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting .487 from the field, .485 from beyond the arc and .933 from the free throw line.

For the entire season, he averaged 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 26.2 minutes and shot an NBA-best .451 (162-359) from three-point range – his fourth time leading the league in three-point percentage over his career (2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15). Korver scored in double digits 19 times with the Cavaliers this past season, which includes a 29-point performance at Indiana on Feb. 8. The 14-year veteran knocked down his 2,000th career three-pointer on Feb. 15 against the Pacers, becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to accomplish that feat. Korver also appeared in 18 games during Cleveland’s NBA Finals run, averaging 5.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game.

Korver has appeared in 1,031 games (418 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Hawks and Cavaliers, owning career averages of 10.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. He is also averaging 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 24.9 minutes over 109 career postseason contests (38 starts). An NBA All-Star in 2015, Korver is currently tied for fifth in NBA history with 2,049 career made three-pointers and ranks fifth all-time in three-point field goal percentage (.431, minimum 300 3FGM). He has hit 100 threes or more 12 times in his career, including each of the last seven seasons.

Wizards sign Jodie Meeks

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced Wednesday that the team has signed free agent shooting guard Jodie Meeks.

“Jodie will improve our backcourt rotation and fill a need with his scoring and shooting,” Grunfeld said. “He is an eight-year veteran who has been a reliable player throughout his career, and we look forward to him bringing that stability to our bench.”

Per the Washington Post, “Meeks, who signed a deal reportedly for two years and $7 million, has not played significant playoff minutes since his 2011-12 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Therefore, Washington’s 49-33 record and run to the Eastern Conference semifinals served as the motivation for him as a free agent.”

Meeks (6-4, 210) spent last season with the Orlando Magic and averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting .409 from three-point range in 36 games (10 starts). He returned from a thumb injury to play the last 12 games of last season, averaging 8.4 points and shooting .400 (20-50) from three-point range while scoring in double figures in six of those games. The veteran scorer has a career three-point mark of .376 and has shot over .400 from long range in three of the past four seasons.

Meeks has appeared in 454 games (204 starts) and has averaged 9.8 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting .881 from the free-throw line over his eight-year career with Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit and Orlando. He has also appeared in 20 career playoff games (six starts) with the 76ers, Lakers and Pistons. His best season came in 2013-14 when he averaged a career-high 15.7 points and shot .401 from three-point range in 77 games for the Lakers.

The 29-year old Norcross, GA, native was originally selected in the second round (41st overall) by Milwaukee out of Kentucky in 2009, where he named All-SEC First Team as a junior at after leading the conference in scoring (23.7 ppg, including games of 54, 46 and 45 points) and setting the school record for three-pointers in a single season (117) and a single game (10).

Joe Ingles not happy that Gordon Hayward left Jazz

Gordon Hayward’s decision to part ways with the Jazz is a severe blow to the squad. Here’s the Deseret Morning News reporting how a remaining member of Utah’s team is dealing with the disappointment:

Leave it to Joe Ingles to bring some levity to an emotionally charged situation.

Ingles was Gordon Hayward’s best friend on the Utah Jazz, so he wasn’t thrilled when the All-Star decided to sign with the Boston Celtics instead of staying with the 51-win team.

But Ingles, who’s agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract with Utah, is trying to take Hayward’s impending move in stride.

“He’s always going to be a good friend of mine,” Ingles said in an interview with NBA Australia this week. “But I still don’t like him for the time being because he left us, but we’ll be fine.”

Big changes to Thunder starting lineup

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on the Thunder, who need to rely quite so much on Russell Westbrook now with Paul George on board. As for the bench, Raymond Felton is joining the squad:

The Thunder starting lineup has undergone a massive change. Out: Victor Oladipo, Taj Gibson. In: Paul George and likely Patrick Patterson.

The Thunder bench, not so much. Let’s see. Down the stretch of last season and in the playoffs, OKC’s bench was Semaj Christon (or Norris Cole) at point guard, Enes Kanter at center, Doug McDermott and Alex Abrines on the wings, and either Jerami Grant or Domantas Sabonis at power forward. Sabonis is out, but Grant is still here. So the only difference is at point guard.

Can Raymond Felton make that much difference?

Well, it’s a definite upgrade, at least offensively.