The Portland Trail Blazers decided to convert Sidy Cissoko from a two-way contract to a standard one. To clear space on their 15-man roster, they waived Rayan Rupert, prematurely moving on from a 21-year-old who had always been viewed as a long-term project. <\/p>\n
As the 2025-26 season nears its conclusion, Portland is left wondering whether replacing Rupert with Cissoko was the right decision. They have good reason to second-guess it, and it’s less to do with Cissoko and more to do with how well Rupert has played as of late.<\/p>\n
Rayan Rupert is already making Portland regret waiving him<\/p>\n
After a successful audition on a 10-day contract, Rupert signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. That’s proving to be the ideal pairing, with Rupert playing the best basketball of his young career. In fact, he’s coming off a shocking performance in which he had a 33-point triple-double in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. <\/p>\n
Here’s the list of players to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals before turning 22 years old: LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, and… Rayan Rupert. <\/p>\n
That’s some hilariously elite company. And although Rupert is bound to come back down to Earth, the fact that he’s shown flashes of this two-way upside should have Portland’s front office concerned that they made the wrong investment. <\/p>\n
Rupert has played 11 games in Memphis, averaging 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals during that stretch. While Cissoko has become a fan favorite in Portland as an “Energizer Bunny,” Rupert is showcasing a similar two-way impact while providing more on the offensive end, particularly in playmaking and shooting. He’s shot 38.8 percent from deep in Memphis, compared to Cissoko’s 30.1 percent in Portland.<\/p>\n
Rupert was a better fit for a Blazers roster that ranks near the bottom in turnovers and three-point percentage. Between Cissoko and Kris Murray, the Blazers have two redundant role players<\/a>, and their inability to space the floor puts them at a major disadvantage when they share minutes. Murray has been serviceable as of late<\/a>, leaving Cissoko’s role in question going forward. <\/p>\n The Blazers wouldn’t have had that dilemma had they kept Rupert, as he would have provided them with a unique dimension thanks to his versatile skill set as a “Swiss Army Knife.” And the scary part is, he’s only starting to unlock that potential.<\/p>\n