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PORTLAND, OREGON – OCTOBER 29: Sidy Cissoko #91 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts after his dunk during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center on October 29, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Don’t look now, but something is going on with the Portland Trail Blazers.

They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, then did it again on Wednesday. The return of Damian Lillard has the Blazers looking legitimately formidable even in the high-octane Western Conference.

And then there’s Sidy Cissoko, the unheralded player making a case that he might just be a future star.

Who is Sidy Cissoko?
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – NOVEMBER 11: Sidy Cissoko #91 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Moda Center on November 11, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Sidy Cissoko is a 22-year-old, 6-foot-6 forward from France.

He was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Spurs ended up trading Cissoko in February 2025 in the trade that sent Zach LaVine from the Bulls to the Kings and sent De’Aaron Fox from the Kings to the Spurs.

Cissoko went to the Kings in that trade but then was moved two days later to the Washington Wizards in the Jonas Valanciunas trade.

And then the Wizards waived Cissoko.

The Trail Blazers signed Cissoko to a two-way contract two days after he was waived, then converted it to a standard-roster contract 12 days after that.

He’s made his case to be a key player in Portland since.

Sidy Cissoko Stats
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – NOVEMBER 11: Sidy Cissoko #91 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Moda Center on November 11, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Cissoko has been handed starts in each of the two Oklahoma City games, getting action over Scott Henderson, who was Portland’s top-five pick in the same draft Cissoko went 44th to the Spurs.

In the first OKC win, Cissoko had 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting, including 3-for-10 from 3, and 4-for-4 from the foul line. He added three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

In the next triumph over the Thunder, Cissoko had 19 points on 6-for-9 from the floor, including 4-for-7 from 3, while making 3-of-4 foul shots. Cissoko added two rebounds.

He’s not a sure thing to remain a stalwart for Portland, but it’s clear his willingness to let it fly from deep adds a new dimension to the Trail Blazers’ offense, spacing the floor to let Deni Avdija and Lillard have more room to work (and Ja Morant once back from injury).

Length and shooting ability are two crucial ingredients in the modern NBA. Cissoko has them. He has already outplayed his draft status. Now, he might be playing his way into Portland’s future plans.

Billy Heyen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with focus on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim’s basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men’s national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen