Cassell is averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 38 games with the Clippers this season. He has missed 17 games this season due to injury, most notably his wrist, and he has missed at least 23 games to injury in two of the last three years.
NBA. Chemistry has gotten the Celtics this far. Now, they’re adding a potentially explosive element.
The C’s are expected to sign free-agent point guard Sam Cassell, according to multiple reports. Cassell, 38, was waived by the last-place Clippers Thursday night, so he could sign with a contender, reportedly Boston, once he clears waivers.
Due to Cassell’s relationship with former teammate Kevin Garnett — the two led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2004 — the Celtics were heavily rumored to be his best suitor. Cassell also said earlier this month he would “love” to reunite with Garnett.
But Cassell is a volatile personality, a proven winner and a highly acclaimed veteran. There’s no telling how he’ll handle his role with the Celtics, who have seen second-year point guard Rajon Rondo develop into a tremendous starting player.
Cassell was also ejected from the Feb. 6 game at the Garden for clothes-lining Rondo from behind as he drove through the paint in the second quarter. Rondo had been getting the best of Cassell much of the night, and the veteran’s frustration boiled over.
If Cassell appears unhappy with his immediate role of backing up Rondo, Garnett — who has been Rondo’s most vocal advocate since Day 1, and should be Cassell’s most immediate ally — will be forced to step in and police the situation. On paper, the acquisition of Cassell looks like a no-brainer, since the Celtics need a second true point guard. Past the surface, however, the signing is a bit of a head-scratcher.
The Celtics enter Friday’s home game against the Bobcats with a league-best 44-12 record, largely the result of their ability to quickly mesh together as a unit after a pair of blockbuster trades last summer.