Nov 17, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Omri Casspi (36) during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Quicken Loans Arena. Dallas won 103-95. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavs acquired Casspi back in 2011 along with a protected first-round pick in exchange for J.J.Hickson. Hickson was placed on waivers last year and was claimed by the Portland Trailblazers. Casspiwas the starting small forward in his first year with the Cavs, but eventually lost his starting position to Alonzo Gee. Since then, Casspi has been stuck on the bench.

This report of Casspi asking for a trade is still early, so possible places where he can land are still unknown. In the small amount of minutes he has played this year, he shot 45 percent from beyond the arc. Casspi was a first-round pick in 2009, but doesn’t carry first-round value anymore. If the Cavaliers do indeed move him, they will either receive a second-round pick, or a player they may designate for assignment in the NBA’s Developmental League.

This trade request is coming at the same time the Indiana Pacers released small forward Sam Young.He was a second-round pick in the same draft asCasspi and the two are facing similar situations being stuck on the bench. Young is a 6-6 athletic small forward who hasn’t been able to improve upon the impressive rookie season he had. His points per game have declined in each of his five seasons.

The Cavs are in need of a small forward and will have some roster flexibility after parting ways with SamardoSamuels. Young will be there for the taking if the Cavs are interested.

In the meantime…

Jon Leuer been recalled from the Canton Charge and will take the roster spot for Luke Walton, who is addressing a “personal matter.”

With Samuels gone and Anderson Varejao still out with a right knee injury, Leuer may be called upon tosee some significant minutes. Starting power forward Tristan Thompson and center Tyler Zeller will have their hands full tonight dealing with Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.

In five games with the Charge, Leuer has averaged19.5 points and 12.4 rebounds. Leuer started the year on the Cavaliers’ roster, but was assigned to the D-League to make room for rookie Kevin Jones.

Jones will most likely see the bulk of the minutes that Walton has been seeing this season. In 12 minutes against the Houston Rockets, Jones tallied six points and three rebounds.

Nov 17, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Omri Casspi (36) during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Quicken Loans Arena. Dallas won 103-95. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to naming disappointing Cavalier players from the 2011-12 season, small forward Omri Casspi is one of the first names that comes to mind. He started last year’s campaign as a starter for the identity-seeking Wine and Gold, but slowly saw his position taken by upstart and exciting bench player Alonzo Gee. Since the time that Casspi lost his starting job, Gee has played at the three and has done a fine job for a player that should be coming off the bench. Casspi finished the season averaging 7.1 points and shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three.

Through the last seven games, however, Casspi has been the glue off the bench that has held together the long-range game. The Israeli player has shot 56.0 percent from three during that span, averaging 8.8 points in six games off the bench. With the size disadvantage in the most recent game against the Detroit Pistons, Byron Scott opted to start Casspi in place of the injured Dion Waiters and smaller Daniel Gibson. With injuries to the juvenile backcourt, the bench has been pressed to produce.

Earlier on in the season, with Irving still in the lineup, the replacements, save Gibson, have failed to provide the spark in the second and third units. Gibson, who is battling an injury of his own, has been the only “consistent” scorer off the bench so far this season. With Casspi starting to find his stroke from beyond the arc, that could change and become really dangerous once Cleveland regains their full squad back.

The reason I am happy with the recent play of the former Sacramento King is due to his shot selection. Waiters’ shot selection from long range has been fire at times, but in recent showings he has been shooting like the immature rookie we saw in summer league and training camp. To compare Casspi’s and Waiters’ last seven games from deep is, in a way, unfair because Casspi is nowhere close to the level of play that Waiters has reached at certain points this season. He’s second in the league in rookie scoring (averaging 15.2 points), but is 17^th in field goal percentage (36.3 percent).

In Dion’s last seven performances, he has put up 6.6 three points per game, but has only converted on 28.3 percent of those shots. In comparison, Casspi has averaged 3.6 attempts from three, and even converted on all four attempts in the showing against the Miami Heat. He’s not taking too many threes, but the shot he struggled with all of last year is finally starting to fall. The work he put in in Israel is showing, and if he can continue this production off the bench, I’ll be a happy guy.

To make Casspi’s seven-game stretch look even better, let’s take a quick look at what the Cavs’ best bench player, Gibson, has done. He’s shot a lot better than last season, but has been streaky at most times. He’s putting up 4.9 threes per game and is converting 39.2 percent of them, which is a respectable mark through 15 games. He has also averaged 8.5 points, but Cleveland needs more from off the bench if they want to make it out of Irving’s injury alive.

Casspi didn’t get playing time earlier on in the season, but has finally seemed to have earned back coach Scott’s trust. He’s shooting a lot better from the field, which is reassuring because last season was a disaster for him in my opinion. Less is more, however, for the former first round pick. Getting trigger happy is something that shouldn’t be a part of Casspi’s game, and he’s been able to avoid that thus far.

December 3, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson (13) is defended by Detroit Pistons power forward Charlie Villanueva (31) in the fourth quarter at The Palace. Detroit won 89-79. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to “Tuesdays with Right Down Euclid.” Every Monday night the RDE crew along with host Nick Harley will talk the latest Wine and Gold news for you to listen to on the following Tuesday. We will cover the most important topics in a 15-30 minute span from northeastern Ohio to all around the NBA (if it is relevant breaking news).
In the sixth episode website editor Zachary Kolesar and contributing blogger Chris Manning talk about the close losses, most impressed and unimpressed with not including Anderson Varejao and the most recent loss to the Detroit Pistons.
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