NBA Trade News: Cavs Deal JJ Hickson to Kings for Omri Casspi, Draft Pick
June 30, 2011Casspi: Cleveland Provides a Great Opportunity
June 30, 2011While others were anticipating the end of the current NBA collective bargaining agreement, Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant was burning up the phone lines in Independence, ultimately trading power forward JJ Hickson to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for small forward Omri Casspi and a first-round draft selection.
“We really like JJ,” said Grant via conference call. “But from where we are, it was the right decision for us.”
It’s a move that Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant says helps the team “balance and align” their roster to an appropriate level. While Grant also stated that a potential contract extension did not play a role in Hickson’s departure, there was discussion of what the team calls “financial alignment,” enuring that they have as many players on flexible, rookie contracts as possible. This allows the team to grow together at a more cost-efficient pace.
In Casspi, Cavaliers are very quick to cite the 6-foot-9-inch small forward’s ability to shoot the basketball. A player who the team liked during 2008 and 2009 – and who could have very well been a Cavalier had he fallen to the 30th pick in the ’09 NBA Draft – Casspi has hit 47 percent of his three-point attempts in the corner, a mark that even surprised those that had charted him for all of those seasons.
The draft selection which was included in the deal has multiple layers of protection, potentially not being a Cavaliers pick until the 2017 season. However, the team continues to consider all draft selections – regardless of location – assets that allow them to made additional future deals.
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(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
33 Comments
We weren’t going to pay him what he wanted and wouldn’t have gotten a lot more in return. It’s time to clear those logjams and shed some big money deals (Andy, Baron?, Boobie). I’m glad there’s an option at SF, so it’s rounding out.
So is the pick unprotected in 2018? Or do the Cavs only get the 2nd round pick if the 1st hasn’t been conveyed by that point?
The 2nd, the Kings have a nice young and talented team though. We’ll get the pick before then for sure. Who knows, maybe the Kings will come out of the gate hot in a possibly shortened season and the Cavs will get it right away.
Whatever………
Can’t wait for the Community Seder at the Q hosted by Omri and Bar!
@Gren – I sure hope you are right, but man I look at that team (Kings) and see a bunch of selfish ball players who don’t play defense.
Is it just me or is Omri Casspi a 2 inches taller version of Anthony Parker?
They could always use that protected pick as leverage in a future trade and then make it someone else’s problem.
Forget his gfriend, I’m happy to see that Casspi has a seemingly balanced and humane approach to the Palestinian-Israeli issue: http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/03/omri-casspi-wants-peace-in-the-middle-east-using-basketball-to-bring-it/
A small good thing…
Just think… this is the same Hickson piece they were unwilling to part with that kept the Amare deal from getting done. Damn how things change…
“Is it just me or is Omri Casspi a 2 inches taller version of Anthony Parker?”
And 13 years younger.
more like 5 inches taller then Parker
and we didnt nix the suns trade for 1,000,000th time, they did
Dear Chris Grant,
If you turn over the sum of 1 million dollars to me this year, next year I will give you 2 million. But not if I make less than 5 million next year, then I’ll defer to giving you 1.8 million in 2 years. Unless I don’t make 4.5 million that year, then I’ll wait 3 years and give you.. oh screw it, you give me the million, in 10 years I’ll give you a $20. Deal??
PHX wouldnt pull the trigger on the JJ trade in time. Clevo got tired of waiting and pulled the trigger on the Jamison trade.
Annnnnnnnd we would not have Amare now, either. LeBron left, did you guys know that? Amare would be a Knick, regardless.
Glad we kept Hickson so we could at least make this deal, for better or worse.
For the thousandth time… the Suns turned down the Amare for JJ deal. Not the Cavs.
Make a trade to make a trades sake? Wasn’t long ago JJ was the best on the team and even if Stoudemire was available people didn’t wanna lose Hickson. Now you have Omar Casspi, wow!
@Shamrock
You’re a moron
@Shamrock
For the thousandth and one time… the Suns turned down the Amare for JJ deal. Not the Cavs.
Correcting the Amar’e/Hickson misapprehension has now become tantamount to correcting the spelling of “Maualauga” in the comment space
as long as he’s better than Jiri Welsch I’ll be happy.
Well shoot, we coulda had Amare if the Suns didn’t turn down that trade.
Did you guys know that?
I.Did.Not.Know.That.
DocZeus I said “even if”.
It was also Ferry/Brown with the attachment to JJ Hickson love, not Grant/Scott. Just saying.
*attachment to JJ Hickson love*
Oof… should’ve read that a little closer, heheh…
@21, they were going to throw in Nash and Tom Chambers as well!!!
For everyone complaining, there’s always next year.
Unless the Kings make the playoffs any time soon (does anyone realistically see that happening with what’s going on there?) we won’t have the pick until 2018. Should have thrown in a couple of our 54 2nd round picks to make it unprotected.
Plus, Irving is going to have his “Decision” in 2018, right? Maybe by then, that pick will be worth it’s weight.
lets say we actually resign a 36 year old anthony parker when/if this lockout is over – who wears #18?
and another thing – can they even hold a press conference to introduce omri or is this going to happen in 6-8 months when the lockout is over?
Chris Grant you have made a big mistake. You traded a hard working agressive power forward for a soft jump shooting small forward. The cavs need heart, JJ delievered in that regard. I really believed he is capabale of being a force in the league later in his career… Casspi? He will never be an all star. European basketball is not our future. I could make better decisions as a GM.
does anyone feel a Dwill/Bknight combo would of been a better use of our picks if we planned on moving Hickson for a 3?
I also think we should look into signing CDR for some depth at the 3
“You traded a hard working agressive power forward for a soft jump shooting small forward”
we traded Tristan Thompson?
I understand people being disheartened getting Casspi for Hickson. But, let’s not misrepresent both players, okay?
JJ played hard ‘at times’ and didn’t played lazy (or confused or both) plenty of other times. I liked his abilities as much as anyone on here, but he was not a player who played ‘with heart’ as you charactarize.
Also, Casspi is such a player with heart. He plays hard all the time on both ends of the floor and always gives his all. The trade-off is that his talent level (ceiling) isn’t nearly as high as JJ’s. Our FO thinks that he was misused by the Kings (possible) so we’ll see if we can make better use of his strengths.
The kings will start forming together like the thunder as long there minds become more team oriented talent is there