Spurs Select Sidy Cissoko with the 44th Overall Pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

[Mr. Body]

If true, makes you wonder if they had a deal in place with Cissoko’s agent once the second round started and he helped guide his client to SA.

The second round is so weird with this stuff. Trayce Jackson-Davis supposedly wasn’t interested in Indiana so the Pacers so they passed on him. Their GM said as much.

The belief is that Portland had a deal with Rupert in such a manner. It would make the weirdness around the trade off the 33 pick make more sense.

[spurraider21]

Math-wise that works, obviously. But isn't that just wasting money? Better to overpay a useful player on a one-year deal than to just overpay the end of the bench, no?

AvOiD cOsTlY mIsTaKeS!

[CGD]

One way for Spurs to reach the salary floor could be to be very generous with their end of the roster players. They could enter training camp with 16 or 17 players with fully guaranteed contracts and/or give them contracts similar to the ones they gave to Bassey.

Why not? They were already very generous to those players when they failed to reach the floor last year and all those guys got like a 700K bonus.

[Bruno]

Math-wise that works, obviously. But isn't that just wasting money? Better to overpay a useful player on a one-year deal than to just overpay the end of the bench, no?

Well, it would allow Spurs to evaluate players likes Mamu, Champagnie, Cissoko and even Wesley during a whole training camp to have a better idea on who is NBA material.

It may not be the best use of money but I don't find it is fully wasted.

[RC_Drunkford]

I don’t mind it. One of the 4 guys had to get a guaranteed deal. It was either Sidy or Champagnie

[timvp]

Sidy getting a guaranteed contract. Little surprising, no?

This has to be a contract with a guarantee in it -- not a guaranteed contract. We'll see but I'm guessing something like a multi-year deal with part of the first season guaranteed.

[Ariel]

This has to be a contract with a guarantee in it -- not a guaranteed contract. We'll see but I'm guessing something like a multi-year deal with part of the first season guaranteed.

It's got to be more than that. I say at least 1 year guaranteed, likely 1st year guaranteed, 2nd year partially guaranteed, 3rd (and maybe 4th) year non guaranteed.

[timvp]

It's got to be more than that. I say at least 1 year guaranteed, likely 1st year guaranteed, 2nd year partially guaranteed, 3rd (and maybe 4th) year non guaranteed.

Perhaps. That's what Tre Jones got and he was pick 41 -- so 44 could be in that same ballpark.

There's that new second round contract exception in the CBA that probably would provide a hint ........... but I haven't gotten to that page of the CBA yet

[Ariel]

My logic is the Spurs won't cut Wemby's pal in his rookie season even if for non basketball related seasons (great guy, cultured, FRENCH), so no point in being super aggressive. Plus it allows them the extra non guaranteed years that's where the value lies IMO.

[timvp]

My logic is the Spurs won't cut Wemby's pal in his rookie season even if for non basketball related seasons (great guy, cultured, FRENCH), so no point in being super aggressive. Plus it allows them the extra non guaranteed years that's where the value lies IMO.

From what I'm hearing, the plan going into today was to offer Cissoko a two-way contract. Maybe things have changed in the last few hours or will change but it sounds like "guaranteed contract" talk is premature. We'll see.

[CGD]

^ or lost in translation

[Mr. Body]

I'd be mildly irritated if he gets a guaranteed contract, don't know why.

[spurraider21]

From what I'm hearing, the plan going into today was to offer Cissoko a two-way contract. Maybe things have changed in the last few hours or will change but it sounds like "guaranteed contract" talk is premature. We'll see.

id be pretty disappointed if 2 of our big boy roster spots were held by cissoko and osman on opening night

[CGD]

id be pretty disappointed if 2 of our big boy roster spots were held by cissoko and osman on opening night

I would expect Spurs to be compensated for taking on Cedí.

[ismael-robert]

Being smart and respecting the professionals and waiting to see how they're used in spurs system

[Chinook]

This has to be a contract with a guarantee in it -- not a guaranteed contract. We'll see but I'm guessing something like a multi-year deal with part of the first season guaranteed.

Reminds me of, I think Forbes the first time around. He got a two-year min deal with the first year guaranteed. But the source that broke the news (I think it was some local paper up in MI) just said a guaranteed deal.

Perhaps. That's what Tre Jones got and he was pick 41 -- so 44 could be in that same ballpark.

There's that new second round contract exception in the CBA that probably would provide a hint ........... but I haven't gotten to that page of the CBA yet

Don't forget that two-way deals can have guarantees in them as well.

The good news about that new exception is that it doesn't fit a cap until sometime during the summer league. So the Spurs don't have to worry about that when trying to use their cap space.

[kobyz]

I hope Sidy could justify a nickname Psycho Cissoko, we need someone like that...

[Bruno]

Baskonia's GM is confirming that Cissoko will get a guaranteed contract:

https://www.gasteizhoy.com/felix-fer...mpson-al-efes/

They have offered him a guaranteed 2-year contract. Everything indicates that he will stay in San Antonio. He will pay his buyout clause and everyone is happy. We are very happy for Sidy. He is a player who has fought a lot.

[Dejounte]

Nba’s new thicc boi after kyle lowry

[SpursFan86]

Been really impressive in almost every way aside from scoring…but holy has he been awful there If he can even become a mediocre scorer then he’d be a serviceable bench guy IMO. He’s still super young and it’s early so we’ll see how he progresses.

[Mr. Body]

Baskonia's GM is confirming that Cissoko will get a guaranteed contract:

https://www.gasteizhoy.com/felix-fer...mpson-al-efes/

Really hope this is lost in translation/coach doesn't know the nuances. Cissoko on a big boy contract creates problems, not huge ones, but avoidable ones.

[Bruno]

Really hope this is lost in translation/coach doesn't know the nuances. Cissoko on a big boy contract creates problems, not huge ones, but avoidable ones.

NBA's CBA doesn't allow teams to pay an international buyout for a player signed with a two-way contract. So even if Cissoko is fine with a two-way contract, this buyout issue makes it nearly impossible to do.

I guess Spurs knew about it before the draft and a two way contract was never really an option for Cissoko.

[CGD]

NBA's CBA doesn't allow teams to pay an international buyout for a player signed with a two-way contract. So even if Cissoko is fine with a two-way contract, this buyout issue makes it nearly impossible to do.

I guess Spurs knew about it before the draft and a two way contract was never really an option for Cissoko.

But I thought he was on G League Ignite all last year? Does he still have a buyout issue?

[Bruno]

But I thought he was on G League Ignite all last year? Does he still have a buyout issue?

It looks like the agreement between Cissoko and Baskonia was that he played a year in G League and came back to Baskonia at the end of the season. It was a loan.

From Baskonia's official website:
https://www.baskonia.com/sidy-cissok...ima-temporada/

[Mr. Body]

This makes the whole 'pass on players at pick 33 then take Sidy anyway at 44' thing even stranger.