Casspi Denies He's Unhappy in Cleveland

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Omri Casspi, the first Israeli in the NBA, says he's content in the city by the lake, despite comments by league sources that he requested a trade.

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"Of course, I like Cleveland," Casspi told the Plain Dealer. "Cleveland has been great to me. The fans, the city, the organization. That's where I'm focused. I don't have any other focus but to help my team win."

Casspi has played little since his 12 minutes on the floor in the victory over the Lakers on December 11.

"He hasn't done anything [to be demoted]," coach Byron Scott said. "It's just the number of guys we have at that position. Omri's been great .... As far as him playing and things like that, he's probably going to get another shot at it. It's just a matter of time and me finagling some other lineups and things like that. As far as I know, he's been great."

Scott said Casspi has not been disgruntled in practice. "By no means," Scott said. "He's been great at practice. He's been great in the games, cheering for his teammates. He's been a true professional in every sense of the word; I expect him to continue to be that way."