Sam Cassell will be leaving the Washington Wizards after spending five seasons with the team. Cassell will be going to the Los Angeles Clippers to take over the assistant head coach vacancy. Sources close to the situation confirmed on Saturday night that Cassell is leaving.
Cassell joined the Wizards in 2009 as a member of Flip Saunder's staff. John Wall and Bradley Beal have both credited Sam Cassell for helping improve their game.
The Clippers lost two of their assistant coaches to different teams. Tyronn Lue went to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Alvin Gentry went to the Golden State Warriors. Sources close to the situation say that Cassell was about to get a raise, but decided to leave. Doc Rivers helped convince the Wizards to costless Cassell. An official announcement that Cassell will be the assistant head coach will happen next week.
Cassell played in the NBA for 16 seasons winning three championships and earning an All-Star appearance back in 2004. He won back-to-back titles as a player with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. He won his third title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. In his career, Cassell played for the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics.
Cassell is the second assistant to move on this summer, with Ryan Saunders leaving to join his father, Flip, in Minnesota. The Wizards replaced him with former Maryland women’s assistant and longtime high school coach and trainer David Adkins.