I'm starting to wonder when Daryl Morey sleeps. The Rockets agreed to bring back Francisco Garcia earlier this afternoon, and in another move to bolster their bench, they have reportedly agreed to a two year contract with Israeli swingman Omri Casspi. Terms have not been released, but I would expect that the deal is for the minimum.
Morey has been regularly connected Casspi the last few years, targeting him at the trade deadline last season when there were reports that he would be bought out, so to see him end up with the Rockets is no surprise.
The Rockets continued their trend of signing players to non-guaranteed deals, giving Casspi a guarantee in the first year before a second, non-guaranteed year. That gives the Rockets flexibility to jump ship after a year, while also giving Casspi some security after bouncing around for the last few years.
But where does Casspi fit in with this bench? The Rockets are looking for players to take chances on after using their cap space on Dwight Howard, and Casspi has upside as a hustle guy off the bench. He's quick, runs the floor, and is a tremendous rebounder despite his skinny build. Still, watching him, it's easy to see why he is available for so cheap. He isn't much of a shooter, lacks the ability to create his own shot, and isn't particularly strong either.
Morey obviously sees something in Casspi to take a flier on him, but I wouldn't expect much. At the very worst, though, he's bench fodder and insurance for a team desperately needing it on the wings.