Omri Casspi, right, playing for the Golden State Warriors in a game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Nov. 19, 2017. (Photo/JTA-Abbie Parr-Getty Images)
Omri Casspi, right, playing for the Golden State Warriors in a game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Nov. 19, 2017. (Photo/JTA-Abbie Parr-Getty Images)

Warriors drop first Israeli NBA player Omri Casspi

Omri Casspi, the first Israeli to play in the National Basketball Association, was waived by the Golden State Warriors.

Casspi, 29, who signed a one-year contract with the NBA championship team in July, has not played in recent games due to an ankle injury.

He will not be able to sign with another team in time to play in the postseason, which begins later this month.

Casspi, who averaged 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 53 games this season, was a first-round draft pick in 2009 by the Sacramento Kings. The 6-9 forward was a member of the championship Maccabi Tel Aviv team in Israel before making himself available for the NBA draft. He also has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to the New York Times, Israeli broadcaster and former Maccabi Tel Aviv executive Yaron Talpaz said: “For sure every playoff game with Omri would have been a big event here — even at 3 or 5 in the morning. So Golden State won’t be Israel’s team in these playoffs. Now it’s going to be more spread around.”

JTA

Content distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news service.