Sidy Cissoko already put himself on the map for Portland, and now he’s staring at the kind of camp battle that can shape where his season goes from here. After logging 75 games, including 26 starts, and averaging 19.1 minutes per night in 2025-26, he enters next year with real momentum. The next step is obvious: keep climbing.
The catch is that Cissoko’s path to a bigger role runs straight through Jeremy Sochan.
That’s the fight at backup power forward, and it’s a messy one because the two players bring a lot of the same thing. Cissoko’s value is built on size, defense, and effort. He’s not a polished scorer, especially from deep, but he earns his minutes by competing, getting stops, and injecting energy into the game.
Sochan’s profile looks strikingly familiar. He has spent years trying to build a reliable jumper, even shooting free throws with one hand to refine his form, but that work never turned into the kind of shooting touch he was chasing. Like Cissoko, he’s mostly a defensive specialist.
There’s an odd wrinkle to all of it: they were teammates before, drafted by the Spurs in consecutive years. Now they’re being asked to go head-to-head for the same role, and Portland simply doesn’t have the luxury of carrying two non-spacers in that spot, or really two backup fours at all.
Right now, Cissoko appears to have the edge. He’s on a standard contract for the coming season, while Sochan is in camp on a deal. Cissoko is also a year younger, already has chemistry with the Blazers’ roster, and looks a little more likely to develop into a passable shooter.
Sochan isn’t without his selling points. He’s the more established player and has more experience after time with the Spurs, a world-class organization, and the Knicks, where he won a championship. He also brings some knowledge of Victor Wembanyama, which could matter for Portland as it prepares to see a lot of The Alien going forward.
Offensively, Sochan does offer a bit more right now as a finisher and connective passer. Even so, the smarter bet for Portland seems to be sticking with Cissoko and betting on his development. If the Blazers give him that backing and let him settle into the backup role, he could outplay expectations again and become a real piece of the rotation.
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Thunder Still Have A Costly Roster Crunch Coming Soon
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Even so, the accounting does not stay clean for long. Projections now point to Oklahoma City moving back above the luxury tax apron by nearly $19 million in 2027-28, with payroll climbing past $400 million even before a new deal for Cason Wallace is factored in. For a contender that is trying to stay ahead of the leagues harshest penalties, the question is less whether the roster is talented enough and more how long the front office can keep paying for it. [Read more 🡒]