With the announcement on Friday that the Blazers have converted two-way player Sidy Cissoko into a standard contract, the Portland Trail Blazers did something the San Antonio Spurs couldn't: develop Cissoko — a raw, talented prospect — into a viable NBA player.
I don't want to rag on the Spurs player development program, as they seem to be doing just fine over there. But Cissoko earning a two-year deal is the latest example of the Blazers' front office of Joe Cronin and Mike Schmitz betting on upside, even after the rest of the league has given up on that promise.
It's not always going to be a hit; not everyone can be a reclimation project. But Cronin and Schmitz' don't need to bat .1000 for this approach to be worthwhile, and Cissoko is an example of that. He was only 20 years old when the Blazers signed him last season, and in retrospect, it's patently crazy to give up on a 20 year-old with as much talent as Cissoko.
Rayan Rupert, another guy who fits the definition of an upside swing, was waived to make room for Cissoko. You win some, you lose some.
Joe Cronin and Mike Schmitz have a clear vision for filling out this roster
In the late 2010s, the Toronto Raptors gained a reputation for only having interest in 6-foot-8, athletic wings who may or may not actually be NBA players but are worth the investment regardless. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin and assistant GM Mike Schmitz may not have reached that level of tools-obsessed yet, but their willingness to take swings on guys who disappointed after being highly touted is an approach that fans of all teams want their front offices to take.
Cissoko isn't the only guy on this roster who fits the billing; Blake Wesley was a first-round pick and draft Twitter's favorite sleeper in 2022, but also fizzled out in San Antonio.
I'm not saying the Blazers should pick up every former Spurs player who can't find their footing in Texas, but the Blazers do appear to be 2/2 in that regard so far. Jeremy Sochan, you should be in Portland!
Hitting on high-level draft picks of their own is vital for a rebuilding team. After picking Scoot Henderson No. 3 overall and Yang Hansen in the first round show that the Blazers have some room to grow in that regard. But picking up other team's "failed" draft picks and turning them into NBA players? At the very least, the Blazers seem to be set on that front.