Grizzlies Sign Rayan Rupert To Two-Way Contract
1:59 pm: Rupert has officially re-signed with Memphis on a two-way deal, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
1:37 pm: Less than 24 hours after his 10-day contract with the team expired, the Grizzlies will re-sign guard Rayan Rupert to a two-way deal, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The 43rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Rupert averaged just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game across 139 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons with Portland. The 21-year-old Frenchman was cut by the Trail Blazers last month when they promoted Sidy Cissoko to their 15-man roster and almost immediately caught on with Memphis after clearing waivers.
Rupert played big minutes off the bench for the Grizzlies during his first 10 days with the club, averaging 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.6 SPG in 26.8 MPG, with a shooting line of .452/.353/.800.
Memphis entered the day with all three of its two-way slots filled, but created an opening by promoting Olivier-Maxence Prosper to a standard contract. The team will essentially flip Prosper’s and Rupert’s spots on the 18-man roster, with Prosper going from a two-way to a standard deal, while Rupert goes from a 10-day to a two-way.
Rupert will be able to appear in a maximum of 11 more games at the NBA level for the rest of the season, a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit for two-way players.
Northwest Notes: Bailey, Jazz, Nuggets, Cissoko
Ace Bailey knows that not everyone is a fan of his game or his approach to the 2025 draft. However, coaches and players who know him sing a different tune, Kevin Reynolds writes for the Salt Lake City Tribune.
“If anybody calls about Ace Bailey, I f—ing call back right away,” said Steve Pikiell, Bailey’s coach at Rutgers. “I’ve been coaching 42 years, and he’s as good of a kid I’ve had.”
Pikiell adds that he believed that certain teams that had been heavily scouting Bailey and then fell in the lottery might have helped contribute to some of the negative narratives surrounding him on draft night. According to Reynolds, Bailey has rewarded Utah’s faith in him on an interpersonal level.
“He’s such a great kid, man. Off the court, he’s such a joy. On the court, he’s putting it together,” former teammate Kyle Anderson said. “I didn’t pay attention to the noise during the draft process, but I’m glad to see that really hasn’t surfaced.”
While Bailey has learned to fit into Utah’s locker room, the coaching staff has worked to make sure he plays a role that will benefit him the most long-term.
“We want to help him get through this season and be a way better player than when he started,” coach Will Hardy said. “I’m not pro Ace just bombing away to get stats and clicks.”
The strategy seems to be working, as Bailey has played some of his best basketball of late, averaging 15.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game since mid-January.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz were furious about being fined $500K by the NBA, Tony Jones reports for The Athletic, as they believe they were singled out for a widespread practice among tanking teams of resting players in key situations. Jones writes that while Utah has tanked in recent seasons, they had plans to make at least one substantial win-now trade roughly three years ago, but it fell through when the player’s agent informed them that he would rather play elsewhere.
- The Nuggets currently have a disconcerting trend going: they are falling apart in clutch situations, and it only seems to have gotten worse with Nikola Jokic back, Bennett Durando writes for the Denver Post. Denver is 26th in clutch net rating at -9.9, and the number falls to -19.3 when Jokic is playing. Coach David Adelman acknowledged the issue and said he’s looking to add wrinkles to get Jokic and Jamal Murray easier looks while Aaron Gordon is out and not occupying his usual area in the dunker spot. “We’re trying to maintain who we are, playing the two-man game without the things that matter behind it,” Adelman said. “Like, if we play a two-man game with Aaron Gordon, it’s a very different rotation (in help defense) for teams. So you don’t want to scrap something that you know you’re gonna do (in the playoffs), and you’re presupposing that those guys are gonna be out there. … We have to figure out a way to finish games when teams are full-rotating to (Jokic and Murray). Sometimes three guys, sometimes four.” Durando notes that the sample of clutch games with Jokic playing is small, but it can still impact the playoff race.
- The two-year standard contract that Sidy Cissoko recently signed with the Trail Blazers is a minimum-salary deal that’s non-guaranteed in 2026/27, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype notes (via Twitter). In order to promote Cissoko, the Blazers had to waive Rayan Rupert, his best friend on the team, making the move bittersweet, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link). “For me, it’s tough because he’s the guy that helped me with everything when I got here. I’ve got a lot of experience with him,” Cissoko said. “We’ve played together since we were 16 or 17.” Cissoko added that the promotion to the standard roster represents a step toward his goal of playing in the NBA for over a decade. “I’ve done great by being myself,” he said. “I’m not going to change because of my contract. It’s the same Sidy. I’m going to play the same way.”
Grizzlies Sign Rayan Rupert To 10-Day Deal
8:00 pm: Rupert’s 10-day contract is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
4:25 pm: The Grizzlies are signing Rayan Rupert to a 10-day contract, Shams Charania reports for ESPN (Twitter link).
The 6’7″ wing was the 43rd overall pick in the 2023 draft and spent his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Blazers, averaging 3.2 points in 12.0 minutes per game.
Rupert played three games for the Rip City Remix G League team this season, averaging 12.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per contest while hitting 36.4% of his threes.
Rupert played in 48 games for Portland this season, but the trade for Vit Krejci, along with Blake Wesley‘s return from injury, moved him down the wing pecking order. He was waived by the Blazers on Friday to make room for Sidy Cissoko‘s two-year deal.
Memphis has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Rupert. If the deal is finalized on Sunday, he’ll be available for the Grizzlies’ next five games before his contract expires.
Trail Blazers, Sidy Cissoko Complete Two-Year Deal
11:56 am: The Blazers have officially promoted Cissoko and waived Rupert, the team announced.
The 43rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Rupert has averaged just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game across 139 appearances for Portland. He’s still just 21 years old though, and will be eligible for a two-way contract if he clears waivers on Sunday.
11:26 am: The Trail Blazers are promoting forward Sidy Cissoko to their 15-man roster, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who hears from Cissoko’s agents at Gersh Sports that he and the team have agreed to a two-year deal.
Cissoko reached his limit of 50 active games on his two-way contract in Portland’s last game prior to the All-Star break, so the club needed to convert him to a standard deal in order to continue using him going forward.
With injured wings Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray apparently on the verge of returning to action, it was unclear whether Portland would be motivated to promote Cissoko right away.
However, the 21-year-old Frenchman has proven to be an important part of the rotation this season, starting 24 of his 50 games and averaging 22.3 minutes per night. He has contributed 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, with a .408/.327/.703 shooting line and solid wing defense.
The Blazers have a full 15-man roster, so someone will need to be waived in order to create an opening for Cissoko. Rayan Rupert and Thybulle, neither of whom is owed guaranteed money beyond this season, have been mentioned as two possible release candidates.
Signing Cissoko to a standard contract will open up a two-way slot for the Blazers — they’ll have until March 4 to fill it. The team could create another opening by promoting another two-way standout, Caleb Love, who has five games of eligibility remaining, but that move would require Portland to cut another player from its 15-man roster.
Blazers Notes: Roster Decisions, Lillard, Moda Center, Future
It’s unlikely that the Trail Blazers will make any roster decisions until after the All-Star break, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian reports (subscription required).
Two-way players Sidy Cissoko (49 games) and Caleb Love (44) are near their respective 50-game limits and would need to be signed to standard contracts to remain eligible for NBA contests. Portland already has a full 15-man roster.
Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle are the players most likely to go if one or both two-way players get a promotion, Freeman writes. It’s also possible the Blazers may sign a veteran player who clears waivers.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- Damian Lillard was joking around with Michael Levine, a marketing executive for the NBA, about participating in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend. When one competitor dropped out, the joke became a reality, as Jason Quick of The Athletic details. Lillard has been on the mend all season from the Achilles tear he suffered with Milwaukee during last year’s playoffs. “All-Star Weekend needs stars,” Lillard said. “People want to see stars competing.” Lillard said a challenge like this is just what he needs during the drudgery of injury rehab. “I need some competition,” he added. “I’ve just been working out, not playing, so I need some type of competition. I just need a bump.”
- Renovations could be coming soon to Moda Center, the team’s longtime arena. Efforts to secure public funding for renovations formally ramped up on Monday with the introduction of a bill in the Oregon Senate that drew widespread support from government leaders, including Gov. Tina Kotek, Bill Oram of The Oregonian reports. The bill will be sent to the Senate Committee on Rules and have its first hearing on Wednesday morning.
- Will renovations for the arena or the impending ownership change assure that the Blazers will remain in Portland long-term? Writing for The Oregonian, Oram says he isn’t so sure that the NBA considers Portland a major-league city or that city leaders prioritize sports and are willing to make the necessary investments.
Trail Blazers Notes: Camp, Yang, Sharpe, Porter, B. Grant
It has been an extremely busy and eventful offseason for the Trail Blazers, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who lists five things he’ll be keeping a close eye on when training camp starts this week.
The first item on Highkin’s list is Yang Hansen, the 7’1″ center who was surprisingly drafted 16th overall after largely being projected as a second-round pick. Yang looked more ready to contribute than anticipated during Summer League action, Highkin notes, but it’s hard to read much into that performance — the real tests will begin soon.
While Damian Lillard won’t play at all this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, Highkin is curious to see how the franchise’s all-time leading scorer will impact his teammates behind the scenes. Who will be part of the starting lineup and whether or not Kris Murray or Rayan Rupert can carve out rotation roles in their third seasons are among the other storylines Highkin will be monitoring.
Here are a few more notes from Portland:
- Within the same story, Highkin says he’s skeptical about the Blazers and Shaedon Sharpe agreeing to a rookie scale extension before the season begins. Although Highkin views the Canadian guard as “the most talented player” on the roster, he writes that Sharpe hasn’t been able to consistently perform at a high level to this point in his career. If the 22-year-old doesn’t sign an extension by October 20, he will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
- In a story for The Players’ Tribune he wrote in Chinese and then had translated to English, which he’s still learning, Yang describes his upbringing in Zibo (Shangdong province), China, and his journey to being drafted by Portland. One interesting tidbit: Yang says he has been closely studying Nikola Jokic for the past three years and has patterned his game to imitate the Serbian star.
- The Trail Blazers recently announced several additions and promotions in their basketball operations department. Most notably, longtime Blazers point guard and ex-NBA head coach Terry Porter will serve as a scout this season, while former Blazers forward Brian Grant will hold the title of basketball liaison — he will be an off-court mentor to players. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, who first reported that Porter and Grant would be returning to the organization in an official capacity, has more details on their specific positions.
Blazers Exercise Rayan Rupert’s 2025/26 Option
The Trail Blazers are picking up Rayan Rupert‘s team option for the 2025/26 season, reports Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). The team issued a press release confirming the move is official.
Rupert’s $2.22MM salary for next season will technically remain non-guaranteed for a couple more days, but will become fully guaranteed as long as he remains under contract through Tuesday (July 1). It sounds like that will happen.
[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2025/26]
A 6’6″ wing from France, Rupert has been with Portland since being selected 43rd overall in the 2023 draft. He has appeared in 91 NBA games during his first two NBA seasons, but has seen a limited role, with averages of 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 12.0 minutes per game and a shooting line of .370/.321/.764.
The 21-year-old has been more of a go-to option during stints with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate. In 11 games with the Remix this past season, he put up 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .497/.229/.692 shooting.
With his option exercised, Rupert will be extension-eligible beginning in July, though a new deal seems unlikely unless he moves up on the depth chart this season. Assuming he plays out his current contract, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2026.
Trail Blazers Notes: Draft, G League, Postseason
The Trail Blazers have found themselves on a surprisingly impressive run of late, observes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. After cleaning the clock of the star-studded Suns on Saturday, Portland claimed its seventh win across its last eight contests.
As Highkin notes, Portland’s recent success has likely damaged its chances of nabbing the top talent in this summer’s impending draft.
Sporting a 20-29 record, the Trail Blazers are now just one victory away from matching their 2023/24 total of 21 wins. The strong play of forwards Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija, the intriguing defense of rookie center Donovan Clingan, and improved play from backcourt standouts Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson has helped boost the club’s record.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers assigned center Duop Reath, wing Rayan Rupert and forward Jabari Walker to their G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, the team announced on Sunday (Twitter link). Reath, who was assigned to Rip City on Saturday for the first time this season, enjoyed a standout rookie year in 2023/24 before falling to a fourth-string role this year following the arrival of Clingan and the return of Robert Williams. Thanks to this surplus of centers in Portland, Reath has been viewed as an intriguing trade candidate for rival clubs this year.
- Portland is now just 4.5 games away from the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed, but the Trail Blazers are taking a measured approach to their postseason prospects, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “I don’t even think we think about none of that stuff,” center Deandre Ayton said. “We’re just taking it one game at a time. We’re not even there yet … We’ve still got to take care of these fundamentals and be known for that, despite how these games go.”
- In case you missed it, Henderson has been developing as a player and a leader of late after an up-and-down start to his NBA career.
Northwest Notes: Conley, Murray, Braun, Rupert, Leons
Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley spoke in more detail this week about the left wrist injury he has dealt with for the last few years, admitting that it prevented him from golfing over the summer after he fell on the wrist last season and aggravated an old ligament issue, per Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Still, Conley has gotten used to playing through the injury and plans to continue doing so.
“When I’m 50, I’ll get surgery, not right now,” he said. “The surgery is a little bit complex and I’ve been playing with it for years, so I feel like I’ll just finish it.”
Entering Friday’s bout with Denver, Conley was shooting just 22.6% from the field through Minnesota’s first four games this season, including 27.3% on three-pointers. While the wrist issue may be a factor in the veteran’s shooting struggles, the sample size is small and he’s confident those numbers will improve once he gets through an early-season adjustment period.
“I’m just trying to work back the strength of it,” Conley said. “That’s the biggest thing. The pain and stuff is gone. But there are some times when I’ll shoot it and think, ‘Ah, that’s good,’ and it’ll be like two feet short. So you’re just trying to gauge the differences and work through that as the season goes forward.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray exited Friday’s loss to Minnesota in the third quarter and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The injury occurred following an inadvertent collision with Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (Twitter video link). Murray, who is off to a somewhat slow start this season, had just six points on 2-of-7 shooting in his 22 minutes on Friday.
- The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games and required an overtime period to get their two wins against a pair of Eastern teams (Toronto and Brooklyn) coming off lottery seasons. Still, one silver lining has been the play of Christian Braun in his new starting role — the Nuggets are “very pleased” with what they’ve seen from him this fall, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Braun was a team-high plus-13 in Friday’s loss and has scored double-digit points with a positive net rating in each of Denver’s five games so far. The third-year wing will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.
- Rayan Rupert doesn’t have a significant role for the Trail Blazers this season, but the second-year forward is making the most of his limited playing time and making a case for more minutes. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscription required) writes, Rupert was a plus-12 in 19 total minutes on Monday and Wednesday and earned praise from head coach Chauncey Billups for his impact in Wednesday’s one-point victory. “Rupe’s minutes were amazing,” Billups said. “I was just so, so happy for him, given that he works his behind off. We really celebrated Rupes in the locker room.”
- Malevy Leons‘ new contract with the Thunder is a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the prorated rookie minimum, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Leons has a cap hit of $1,097,300, though a portion of that money would come off Oklahoma City’s books if he’s cut before the league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January. That’s what happened to Alex Reese, whose release left $79,804 in dead money on the Thunder’s cap.
Blazers Notes: Henderson, Grant, Future Sale, Rupert
Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson has signed with Klutch Sports and CEO Rich Paul as his representative, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The third pick in last year’s draft, Henderson is eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer of 2026. How he develops over the next two seasons will determine his earning power.
Henderson appeared in 62 games last season, including 32 starts. He averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 assists per contest, but shot just 38.5% from the field and 32.5% on 3-point tries.
We have more on the Trail Blazers:
- Jerami Grant‘s name remains prominent among trade circles. Grant would prefer not have a cloud of uncertainty around him during next season, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Grant is enjoying the stability of the five-year, $160MM contract he signed prior to last season and doesn’t want to be moved mid-season.
- The franchise will eventually be sold but no timeline has been determined, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. The NBA’s new broadcasting agreements were one of the things the Blazers’ current ownership was likely waiting on before starting the sale process. The fees paid by potential expansion franchises, as well as ongoing lease negotiations for the team’s current arena, Moda Center, will likely also affect the timeline for selling the franchise.
- In the same mailbag post, Highkin says he anticipates guard Rayan Rupert will spend the bulk of his time with the G League’s Remix next season. Rupert, a 2023 second-rounder, appeared in 39 games for the banged-up Blazers last season, including 12 starts.