Sidy Cissoko Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blazers Notes: First Half, Billups, Cissoko, Clingan

February 13th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning just 21 games in 2023/24, the Trail Blazers have surpassed that total by the All-Star break this season. Their 23-33 record doesn’t put them in the mix for a playoff spot, but they’ve won 10 of 14 games since going 13-28 in the first half and are pleased with where they’re at heading into the break, writes Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link).

“I’m very happy with where we are right now,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “I’m happy with where we are as a group. Our young guys continue to take steps.”

“Happier than last year, for sure,” forward Toumani Camara added.

The Trail Blazers went 10-1 from January 19 to February 6 and have since lost three consecutive games as injuries sidelined multiple starters. Even in those losses, Billups likes the effort he has seen from his team.

“I’m so proud of these dudes,” Billups said after 132-121 defeat at the hands of the Nuggets on Wednesday. “This is a game that, in December or November, could be a 40-point loss. But our dudes fought their butts off. I was so happy for them.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Has Portland’s strong play over the past month – and positive player development over the course of the season – put Billups in position to earn a new contract with the team? Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian considers that question, noting that Billups is in the final guaranteed year of his current deal, with a team option for 2025/26. The Blazers’ coach said he wants to see the rebuild through and believes he’s made a strong case to stick around. “Me personally, I definitely think that I’ve done enough,” Billups said. “But I’m also not about to petition for that. I’m not gonna do that. I feel like I’ve done enough. I feel like I’ve developed a ton myself, which needed to happen.”
As Highkin writes for the Rose Garden Report (Substack link), the Blazers long had interest in Sidy Cissoko before signing him to a two-year, two-way contract last week. The team brought Cissoko in for a pre-draft workout in 2023 and assistant GM Mike Schmitz projected him the French wing a first-round pick during his previous job as a draft analyst for ESPN. “They were interested in me since I got to the league,” Cissoko said, adding that he’s excited to reunite with former G League Ignite teammate Scoot Henderson. “The Spurs drafted me, but we still had a good relationship. The day I was waived, my agent talked to them and they said they wanted me.”
On Wednesday, having returned to the starting lineup following Deandre Ayton‘s calf injury, first-year center Donovan Clingan became the first Blazers rookie since Sam Bowie in 1985 to grab 20 rebounds in a single game, Fentress writes. Ten of those 20 rebounds came on the offensive end. “I loved these couple games (in Denver) for DC,” Billups said. “I thought it was excellent. He’s gotten himself back to where he was when he was playing at a pretty high level early before he got injured.”

Contract Details: Diabate, Ingram, Battle, Len, Cissoko, Martin

February 12th, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets used a portion of their room exception to give Moussa Diabate more than the prorated minimum on his new three-year deal, Hoops Rumors has learned. Diabate will earn $957,763 for the rest of this season, then has non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the following two years.

Diabate’s $2,270,735 salary for 2025/26 will become partially guaranteed for $250K if he remains on his current contract through the first day of the Hornets’ regular season opener in the fall. The full amount would be guaranteed if he survives next season’s league-wide guarantee deadline date on January 7, 2026.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

While it’s not official yet, Brandon Ingram‘s three-year, $120MM extension with the Raptors will have an ascending structure, with 5% annual raises, so it’ll start at $38.1MM next season before increasing to $40MM in 2026/27, with a $41.9MM player option for ’27/28, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scotto adds that the deal won’t include a trade kicker.
Jamison Battle‘s new three-year contract with the Raptors will pay him $1MM this season, with that money coming out of Toronto’s mid-level exception, confirms Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Battle’s minimum salary for 2025/26 is currently 50% guaranteed ($977,689 of $1,955,377) and would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived by July 9, Murphy adds. Battle’s third-year minimum salary ($2,296,271) is non-guaranteed and would become fully guaranteed if he’s still under contract through June 30, 2026.
While the Lakers could technically have dipped into their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Alex Len, that wasn’t necessary. The veteran center received a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract, which will pay him $1,177,206 and count for $743,829 on the team’s cap.
Sidy Cissoko‘s new two-way contract with the Trail Blazers covers two seasons, so Portland will be able to retain him on that contract through 2025/26, tweets Scotto. The same goes for Washington and Jaylen Martin, who got a two-year, two-way deal from the Wizards, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Trail Blazers Sign Sidy Cissoko To Two-Way Deal, Waive Taze Moore

February 8th, 2025 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:22pm: The moves are official, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

5:37pm: Sidy Cissoko will join the Trail Blazers on a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Portland will waive guard Taze Moore to open up a two-way spot, Charania tweets.

Cissoko, a 20-year-old small forward, was traded twice this week, going from San Antonio to Sacramento on Monday in the three-team deal involving De’Aaron Fox and then from the Kings to Washington on Wednesday as part of the return for Jonas Valanciunas. The Wizards released Cissoko on Thursday, and he cleared waivers earlier today.

Selected with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft, Cissoko appeared in 29 total games during his time with the Spurs. He averaged just 3.2 minutes in 17 games this season.

Before being drafted, Cissoko played alongside Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson with the G League Ignite, notes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

Moore, 26, signed a two-way contract in September after playing four games with Portland last season on a pair of 10-day deals. He saw minimal time in two games this year, but averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in nine regular season contests with the Rip City Remix in the G League.

Wizards Waive Sidy Cissoko

February 6th, 2025 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have requested waivers on forward Sidy Cissoko, the team announced today (via Twitter).

It has been an eventful week for Cissoko, who was traded from the Spurs to the Kings in the De’Aaron Fox/Zach LaVine multi-team blockbuster, then was flipped to Washington in Wednesday’s Jonas Valanciunas deal. Now, assuming he clears waivers on Saturday without being claimed, he’ll be seeking a new home.

Cissoko, 20, was the 44th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Although he signed a three-year contract that included two guaranteed seasons, the French forward played an extremely limited role during his season-and-a-half with the Spurs, appearing in just 29 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per night.

Cissoko saw more action in the G League with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s affiliate. He made 34 total appearances for the club last season and 11 more in 2024/25. In those 11 games this season, he averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest, with a shooting line of .489/.264/.595.

It’s unclear if Cissoko will catch on with a new NBA team or if a return to Europe, where he began his professional career, could be in the cards. He’s still just 20 years old (21 in April) and is eligible to sign a two-way contract, so I’d expect some NBA clubs to have some level of interest in him.’

Because the Kings were the last team to trade Cissoko before he was cut, Sacramento won’t be eligible to re-sign him, but San Antonio would be.

The Wizards, meanwhile, will open up a spot on their 15-man roster as a result of the move, which could come in handy if they have any additional pre-deadline moves on tap. They still need to officially finalize their Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton deal with Milwaukee today.

Wizards Trade Jonas Valanciunas To Kings

February 5th, 2025 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:05 pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases sent out by the Wizards and Kings.

3:59 pm: The Kings are acquiring center Jonas Valanciunas in a trade with the Wizards, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento is sending newly acquired wing Sidy Cissoko and a pair of second-round picks to Washington in the deal.

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), Sacramento will use its $12.8MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to absorb Valanciunas’ $9.9MM salary. He reports that the picks being moved are the Kings’ own in 2029 and a Denver selection in 2028 that’s top-33 protected. That pick was acquired in the De’Aaron Fox deal earlier this week.

The trade with Washington leaves the Kings about $2.5MM below the tax line, states cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), who notes that the team had some flexibility after unloading Fox’s and Kevin Huerter‘s salaries.

Valanciunas, a 32-year-old center, will provide veteran frontcourt depth for Sacramento. He appeared in 49 games during his lone season in Washington, averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night while shooting 54.7% from the field. Valanciunas will join Domantas Sabonis, his longtime teammate on the Lithuanian national team, notes Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The Nuggets were also hoping to land Valanciunas, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), as were the Suns as they try to find a taker for Jusuf Nurkic.

The second-round picks heading to the Wizards bring their total to 19 over the next seven drafts, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). Cissoko is making just $1.89MM, so this deal helps them offset the extra salary they took on earlier today by agreeing to trade for Khris Middleton. Gozlan states that Washington will create a $9.9MM trade exception and is now $11.8MM below the tax line.

This is the second trade of the week for Cissoko, a 20-year-old small forward, who went from San Antonio to Sacramento in the Fox deal. He has seen minimal playing time at the NBA level since being selected with the 44th pick in the 2023 draft. Cissoko appeared in 17 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 1.3 PPG in 3.2 minutes per night.

Trade Rumors: Warriors, Ingram, Durant, Hawks, Bucks, Raptors, TPEs

February 4th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Count Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram among the star players the Warriors have checked in on, league sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

While it doesn’t sound like Ingram is at the top of Golden State’s wish list as the front office seeks an impact player, the club has explored what it would take to land the former All-Star, according to Stein and Fischer, who say that the Warriors could pivot to Ingram if they’re not able to gain traction on any of their higher-profile targets.

One of those higher-profile targets is Suns forward Kevin Durant. Exploring the possibility of a Warriors trade for Durant, Stein and Fischer echo a point made by Anthony Slater of The Athletic, writing that even if Phoenix is willing to move the former MVP (a big if), there’s a “measure of concern” in Golden State about how eager Durant would be for another go-round with the Warriors.

Durant doesn’t have the ability to veto a trade, but given that the Warriors would have to put together a substantial package to convince the Suns to part with him, they’d presumably like to be confident that he wanted to be there.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, with this year’s deadline just two days away:

There’s still an expectation that the Hawks will make a deal involving Bogdan Bogdanovic this week, according to Stein and Fischer, who say that Atlanta continues for now to explore “more ambitious” trade scenarios, including one possibility that would feature Ingram.
The Bucks continue to consider trades involving Pat Connaughton and his $9.4MM salary, either to shed his contract to duck below the second tax apron or to use his deal as a matching piece to bring back a more reliable wing. Stein and Fischer hear from sources that Sixers forward Caleb Martin and his twin brother Cody Martin of the Hornets are among the players Milwaukee has looked at in a potential deal for Connaughton. Both players are earning about $8.1MM this season.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at the Raptors‘ trade options in the coming days, examining what it would take to get them to part with Jakob Poeltl, whether their reported interest in Ingram is legit, and why players like Bogdanovic and Andrew Wiggins may not fit the timeline of Toronto’s roster.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) shares some details on how the Kings and Bulls completed the three-team trade involving De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine. Chicago took Kevin Huerter into an existing traded player exception, creating a new $17.1MM TPE for LaVine, while Sacramento used a portion of an existing TPE to take on Sidy Cissoko, generating a new exception worth $16.8MM (Huerter’s outgoing salary). The Kings were unable to acquire LaVine and Cissoko by aggregating the outgoing salaries of Fox and Jordan McLaughlin because LaVine received a portion ($3MM) of his trade bonus, increasing his cap hits for this season and next season by $1.5MM apiece.

Spurs Acquire Fox, Kings Land LaVine In Three-Team Trade

February 3rd, 2025 at 2:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FEBRUARY 3: The trade is official, according to press releases from the Bulls, Spurs, and Kings. Chicago waived Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte to make room for the incoming players, as we detailed in a separate story.

FEBRUARY 2: The Spurs are finalizing a three-team trade in which they’ll acquire Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox, while Bulls high-scoring wing Zach LaVine will be moved to Sacramento, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones are being sent the Bulls, while Jordan McLaughlin will join Fox in San Antonio, The Athletic’s Sam Amick tweets.

The Bulls will reacquire the top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick they owed the Spurs, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. San Antonio will also send out three more first-rounders to the Kings.

Here’s the full breakdown, according to Charania:

Spurs to acquire Fox and McLaughlin.
Kings to acquire LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, the Hornets’ 2025 first-round pick (top-14 protected; from Spurs), the Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round pick, the Bulls’ 2025 second-round pick (from Spurs), the Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick (top-33 protected; from Spurs), and their own 2028 second-round pick (from Bulls).
Bulls to acquire Collins, Jones, Huerter, and their own 2025 first-round pick (from Spurs).

Note: If the Hornets’ 2025 first-rounder falls within its protected range, as expected, Charlotte will instead convey its 2026 second-round pick and 2027 second-round draft pick to Sacramento.

This is the ideal outcome for Fox, who reportedly had the Spurs at the top of his wish list after news was leaked that the Kings would entertain offers for their leading scorer and floor leader. Fox and budding superstar Victor Wembanyama will now become the Spurs’ pick-and-roll partnership for years to come, with San Antonio also able to keep promising rookie Stephon Castle out of the deal.

Fox turned down a three-year, maximum-salary extension offer during the 2024 offseason and had shown a lack of interest in signing an extension, prompting Sacramento’s front office to field trade offers.

Fox will be eligible to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Spurs in August, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link). The 2023 All-Star, who is averaging 25.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.0 assists per game this season, will no longer have the opportunity to become super-max eligible by making an All-NBA team in 2025, but he’ll be able to sign an extension in the offseason that begins in 2026/27, starts at 30% of that season’s cap, and covers up to four years.

The Spurs, meanwhile, still control six first-round picks over the next seven seasons, starting with two in 2025 (their own and Atlanta’s pick), and could use those draft assets to continue pursuing roster upgrades around Fox and Wembanyama.

LaVine, of course, has been the subject of trade rumors for years. He’ll finally be on the move and will ironically rejoin forces with his former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan. LaVine, who has battled knee issues in recent years, has averaged 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game with outstanding shooting numbers (.511/.446/.797) in an impressive bounce-back season in Chicago.

While the Kings will collect a handful of draft assets in this deal, the acquisition of LaVine reflects their desire to remain in win-now mode and push for a playoff spot this season. They’re currently 24-24 and hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.

LaVine’s move to Sacramento comes approximately six-and-a-half years after he signed a four-year, $78MM offer sheet with the Kings as a restricted free agent. The Bulls, of course, matched that offer sheet back in July 2018, keeping the former UCLA standout in Chicago.

In addition to shedding LaVine’s contract and creating significant short- and long-term cap flexibility, the Bulls will get their very valuable first-rounder back — even if that pick had landed in its protected range this season, Chicago would still have owed a top-eight protected first-rounder to San Antonio in 2026. By reacquiring that pick, the Bulls will regain full control of their first-rounders going forward.

The Bulls will have to waive two players from their roster to make the deal official, since they’re already at the 15-man limit.

Fox is making $34.85MM this season and $37MM next season in the final year of his deal. Huerter also has one year remaining on his contract. He’s earning $16.8MM this season and $18MM next season.

LaVine, who has a $43MM salary this season, has two years remaining after this season. He’ll bring in $46MM next season and has a player option worth nearly $49MM for 2026/27. He also has a 15% trade kicker, though he could choose to waive that.

Along with Huerter, the Bulls are acquiring the salaries of Collins ($16.7MM this season; $18.1MM next season) and Jones ($9.1MM expiring contract).

McLaughlin is making $2.1MM and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Cissoko is making $1.9MM this season and has a non-guaranteed $2.22MM cap hit for next season.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Spurs Notes: Branham, Paul, Vassell, Cissoko, G League

October 29th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

It remains to be seen whether there will be a regular role for him once the Spurs‘ roster is fully healthy, but Malaki Branham continues to take advantage of an early-season opportunity and is making a case for consistent playing time, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.

After providing the Spurs with 14 solid minutes on Saturday, Branham had his best game of the season in Monday’s five-point loss to Houston, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just under 17 minutes of action. His plus-22.6 net rating through three contests is easily the best mark of any San Antonio rotation player — the team’s overall rating is minus-6.0.

“He’s been a pro,” head coach Gregg Popovich said of the third-year guard. “He’s done what he needed to do at practice and shootarounds. He came in and was ready to go. A class act.”

Here’s more on the Spurs:

In an entertaining feature story for The Athletic, Fred Katz takes an in-depth look at Chris Paul‘s history of mentorship, speaking to former teammates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Payne about what they learned from the future Hall of Famer and exploring how the Spurs will benefit from his presence. “There has been a mentorship dynamic with everybody because Chris is Chris,” Popovich said. “His experience and his intelligence, as we know, is off the charts. … He talks to everybody on the court: big, little. (He’s) just been fantastic in that regard.”
The Spurs are sending Devin Vassell and Sidy Cissoko to Austin to participate in training camp with their G League team, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is in the final stages of his rehabilitation following offseason foot surgery, while Cissoko hasn’t seen any game action yet this season for San Antonio and could use the reps.
Speaking of the Austin Spurs, they officially announced their training camp roster on Tuesday (via Twitter). Malachi Flynn, Jamaree Bouyea, and Jameer Nelson Jr. (the son of former NBA point guard Jameer Nelson) are among the notable names on the 14-man squad.

Spurs Notes: Castle, Collins, Bouyea, Cissoko

July 20th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephon Castle‘s Summer League experience was cut short by a sprained wrist, but the Spurs had already seen enough of the No. 4 pick to know he’s a good fit for the organization, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The poise and defensive intensity Castle displayed at UConn looks like it will translate into the NBA, and coach Gregg Popovich indicated that he seems ready for a rotation role.

“It gives me a lot of confidence,” Castle said. “Pop is a legendary coach, so to hear that from him means so much more. He has a lot of belief in my abilities, and he’s expressed that pretty early on when I got drafted. It’s going to be a fun season. I’m ready to learn a lot from him.”

The Spurs appear ready to trust Castle with play-making duties, Iko adds, which was a question heading into the draft. Castle said he considers himself a point guard, but that wasn’t his usual role in college. He registered 12 assists in three Summer League games, and Iko notes that he showed an ability to create shots for himself as well as his teammates.

“I think I’ve been handling it pretty well,” Castle said. “I’m pretty comfortable in pick-and-rolls, and my teammates and coaches have a lot of belief and confidence in me. That instills confidence in myself when I’m going out there trying to make reads.”

There’s more on the Spurs:

Zach Collins hopes he’s moved past the shooting problems that plagued him early last season, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Even though his shooting numbers improved after the All-Star break, it was still a rough season for Collins, who was limited to 32% from beyond the arc after connecting at a career-high 37.4% the year before. Collins also provided an update on his right shoulder after undergoing surgery to fix a torn labrum after the season ended. He has been working out with some of his teammates in Las Vegas and expects to be ready for the start of training camp. “Everything has healed up, so everything is on pace,” Collins said. “I am checking in with my doctor every month or so, and he seems happy with everything.”
Jamaree Bouyea hit two clutch shots in the final 41 seconds of Tuesday’s win over New Orleans, Orsborn states in the same story. The 25-year-old point guard is hoping to make an impact in the second season of a two-year, two-way deal he signed in March. “I just attack every day, taking every opportunity I get and making the most of it,” said Bouyea, who has spent time with three other teams in the last two seasons. “I can’t worry too much about decisions about my future, so I just give it my all every day, whether it’s a practice or a game.”
Sidy Cissoko has been a defensive standout this summer, shutting down first-round picks Zaccharie Risacher and Yves Missi, Orsborn adds. “(Defense) has been his focus throughout,” Summer League coach Ken Trevino said after the New Orleans game. “We don’t want him to score 20 points. … His job is to defend and rebound. And did he do that tonight? My goodness. Crazy.”

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Mavs, Thompson, Pelicans, Cissoko

June 28th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets will have enough cap flexibility to use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason, but Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) is skeptical that they’ll do so. As Feigen explains, Houston will have nearly all of last year’s rotation players back, with No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard joining the mix and Steven Adams and Tari Eason returning from injuries, so there may not be a role available for a mid-level signee.

Since the mid-level exception can be used for the first time in 2024/25 as a de facto trade exception, Feigen expects Houston to be fine with the idea of hanging onto it into the regular season in case it comes in handy on the trade market.

Within that same story, Feigen also briefly touches on the contract situations for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, who will both be eligible for rookie scale extensions beginning in July. While the Rockets are expected to explore deals with both players, they’re unlikely to offer either Sengun or Green a maximum-salary contract, says Feigen.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Marc Stein adds another team to the list of possible Klay Thompson suitors, reporting on Substack that the Mavericks will explore the feasibility of adding the veteran Warriors sharpshooter. Dallas will have a little flexibility below the first tax apron after agreeing to send Tim Hardaway to Detroit, but won’t have cap room, so a sign-and-trade deal looks like the only way the Mavs would have any chance at Thompson.
Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin vowed in April that the front office would operate with a sense of “urgency” to upgrade the roster this offseason. He reiterated that message this week, as Christian Clark of NOLA.com relays. “We need to be aggressive,” Griffin said. “I think it’s really a positive thing for our organization that we’ve won more games three years in a row. We’ve built what we’ve built in terms of players wanting to stay here. That’s tremendous. That’s not why we are doing this. We are doing this to win.”
Spurs forward Sidy Cissoko underwent an arthroscopic clean-up procedure on his right knee last month, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who says Cissoko’s participation in Summer League could be limited as a result. While the Spurs are hopeful that the 2023 second-rounder will be able to suit up at the Las Vegas Summer League, he won’t play in the California Classic Summer League that tips off on July 6, per Orsborn.