New Orleans Pelicans rumors: Omri Casspi to be waived?

The New Orleans Pelicans have been set to acquire Omer Asik for a few weeks now after they and the Houston Rockets agreed to a trade back in June. However, the rather complicated deal forced both teams to wait until after free agency opened up but now the two sides are working towards a completion.

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A few additional players have been included in the deal (at least in comparison to the original June details), one of which is Omri Casspi. The small forward will be included with Asik in their trade to the Bayou, however, Casspi’s stay is not expected to be very long.

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the New Orleans Pelicans are expected to release Casspi in the near future.

Currently signed to a minimum salary, Casspi’s contract is non-guaranteed. However, it will become fully guaranteed if he is not released by August 5th. It’s also possible that the Pelicans could attempt to trade Omri Casspi, though, he’s not likely to draw much interest on the trade block.

Originally drafted by the Sacramento Kings, Omri Casspi came into the league with a bang though fizzled during his sophomore campaign and was then traded to the Houston Rockets.

Despite the struggles, Casspi does have talent and is likely to find a home on a small contract as the NBA’s free agent period progresses.

The young forward averaged nearly 7 points in 18 minutes for the Rockets last season, so it’s a little odd that the Pelicans are already looking to release him.