Basketball / NBA / Casspi headed for Europe en route to NBA

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Omri Casspi is expected to play for a European team next year even if he is picked in the first round of the NBA draft, according to sources close to the player.

The 2.05-meter small forward is currently in talks with various teams including the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trailblazers, but none have promised him a place on their roster next season, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported yesterday.

Although the 20-year-old impressed scouts at training camps in the U.S., franchise officials believe another year of seasoning in Europe would benefit him. "When I came here I wanted to make it to the NBA, but I'm an open-minded guy," Casspi told the Sacramento Bee.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune yesterday speculated that while the Bulls are considering choosing Casspi in the first round, management would rather trade their 26th place pick with another team.

Casspi has announced his eligibility for the NBA draft twice before, yet withdrew on both occasions because he was not guaranteed a first-round pick.