Grade the deal: Kings re-sign Omri Casspi in underrated free-agent move

Forward Omri Casspi and the Sacramento Kings are finalizing a two-year, $6 million deal.

Forward Omri Casspi and the Sacramento Kings are finalizing a two-year, $6 million deal, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.

Sacramento signed Casspi to a one-year deal at the league minimum last July. Over 67 games last season, he averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9% from the field.

The 27-year-old spent the first two years of his career in Sacramento after the team selected him in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft. He has also had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets.

Since the start of the free agency period last week, Sacramento has also reached agreements with point guard Rajon Rondo, center Kosta Koufos and shooting guard Marco Belinelli.

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The Kings also agreed to send shooting guard Nik Stauskas and forwards Jason Thompson and Carl Landry to the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade aimed at clearing space under the salary cap.

Analysis: After days of begging various free agents to take their rich contract offers, the Kings quietly agreed to re-sign Casspi at an impressive bargain. Sacramento was lucky to have Casspi last season; his utility game worked as a bridge between the disparate elements of the Kings’ offense, which—as one might expect of a team that went through three head coaches—otherwise lacked rhythm and continuity. No one aspect of Casspi’s game defines his value; he can shoot well, run the floor, make plays, cut intelligently, handle a bit, and defend sufficiently. He doesn’t offer any of the above at an exceptional level, though in total his skills and instincts make him far more valuable than his new contract suggests. — Rob Mahoney