Pelicans Reportedly Waive Omri Casspi, Expected to Sign Reggie Williams

A whirlwind week for Omri Casspi has taken another turn after the New Orleans Pelicans decided to waive the veteran forward Friday.

Per Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Pelicans will sign Reggie Williams to take Casspi's spot on the roster. ESPN's Marc Stein confirmed New Orleans will waive the 28-year-old. 

After being traded from the Sacramento Kings as part of the DeMarcus Cousins deal, Casspi broke his thumb during his first game with the Pelicans. He is expected to miss at least four weeks. 

The injury took away from Casspi's strong Pelicans debut in Thursday's loss to the Houston Rockets. He scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes.   

"It's unfortunate, man," Cousins said about Casspi's injury after the game, per ESPN.com's Justin Verrier. "My guy can't catch a break. He really can't."

One benefit for Casspi is his timetable puts him on track to return before the postseason begins April 15. If he clears waivers, it will make him a free agent to sign with any team he chooses. The forward is a solid bench producer who has shot 36.9 percent in his career from three-point range. 

Williams has been playing in the NBA Developmental League with the Oklahoma City Blue, though he appeared in five games with the Pelicans in December. His contributions were minimal with five points and 1.2 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per contest.