The son of retired NBA 3x Champion and current LA Clippers Assistant Coach Sam Cassell Sr, Sam Cassell Jr, has completed a sensational move to the Manchester Giants for the upcoming season.

The 28-year-old guard has been touted by Giants performance analyst Tom Fletcher as one of the biggest ever signings in the history of the British Basketball League, and it's not hard to understand why.

The Giants have already added some real talent to their roster this summer, signing on Breaon Brady and Lyle Hexom as well as Jack Hudson and Jordan Whelan for the next season.

Like Hexom, Cassell Jr has taken part in the NBA Summer League before and has experience playing alongside the very best players in the business.

Cassell Jr will be their fifth signing so far this summer, and will join the ambitious project at the Giants, who will be playing in their new arena for the first time this season, the National Basketball Performance Centre.

Venturing to Europe

Cassell Jr began his College Basketball career at the Iona College, before moving to Chipola College and then the University of Connecticut.

During his time at Iona,  Cassell Jr averaged 11 points and three assists, featuring as a key component on a team that won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament in 2016-17 and made an NCAA Tournament trip.

While at Chipola, the guard averaged 19 points and four assists in the Junior College ranks at Chipola College, being named an NJCAA First Team All-American, leading his team to a Regional Championship and the Elite Eight of the National Tournament.

His time at Connecticut was not as successful as he hoped, as he suffered with injuries during his stay.

Cassell Jr decided to move to Germany for last season in a bid to further his development and become a star player at his team Herford - which he did.

During his time at Herford he led the team, averaging 21 points, five rebounds and four assists per game, while shooting 35% from three-point range.

The 28-year-old was a Conference First Team selection as Herford won 73% of their games in 2018-19.

Former NBA Summer League star

Cassell Jr has participated in two Summer Leagues, one more than his new teammate Hexom.

In 2017, Cassell Jr played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2018, for the Washington Wizards.

The guard has faced up against the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who has been in great form for the Oklahoma City Thunder this year, as well as Alex Caruso, who has become a mainstay in the LA Lakers side.

His best performance came up against the Milwaukee Bucks for the Cavaliers back in 2017, where the guard posted eight points and two assists.

Getting back on the map

Head Coach Danny Byrne was almost in disbelief that a player of Cassell Jr's calibre has joined his team, as he spoke to the Manchester Giants website.

"A signing of this magnitude signals a step-change in what we are trying to do as a club,  and in our effort to put Manchester Giants back on the map," said Byrne.

"Make no mistake about it, we would not be bringing Sam here if he did not tick all of our boxes during the scouting process.

"We found no other player with a comparable IQ for the game, with size, experience, and the ability to both score and facilitate from the combo guard position.

"I expect leadership from Sam this season, and I am really looking forward to seeing how he operates alongside Jack Hudson in our backcourt, and with the other pieces that we have put in place.

"A number of teams in the recent past have started a British point guard alongside an American combo guard to great effect - noticeably Bristol as they made a run to the BBL Cup Final last season.

"With the emergence of Jack last year we felt confident that we could have success with that too, and it's what has enabled us to pursue this signing."

Excited feeling for Cassell Jr

Speaking to the Manchester Giants website too, their new signing spoke positively of the move and he can't wait to get started:

“I’m very excited to join the Manchester giants, excited to meet my teammates, the fans, the coaches and the whole city in general.

"I’ve heard a lot about the BBL and how competitive it is, my team has a lot of work to do, we’re going to be prepared.”

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