Grading the Blazers' Chris Youngblood Signing

After converting two-way forward Sidy Cissoko to a standard contract, the Portland Trail Blazers had an open spot to fill, and they finally made up their mind on which young player to take a chance on.

ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Blazers are signing former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Youngblood to a two-way contract.

"The Portland Trail Blazers are signing guard Chris Youngblood to a two-way NBA deal from the Oklahoma City Thunder's OKC Blue G League team, agent Kashim Butler of KBA Sports tells ESPN. Youngblood played 32 games on a two-way with the Thunder as a rookie last season," Charania posted.

The Portland Trail Blazers are signing guard Chris Youngblood to a two-way NBA deal from the Oklahoma City Thunder's OKC Blue G League team, agent Kashim Butler of KBA Sports tells ESPN. Youngblood played 32 games on a two-way with the Thunder as a rookie last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2026

Grading the signing

Youngblood, 24, went undrafted last summer after a promising five-year college career at Kennesaw State, South Florida, and Alabama. The 6-foot-4 guard was fortunate enough to earn a spot with the Thunder, but that also meant he was a part of the deepest team in the NBA. Youngblood was put in a tough spot to earn playing time, but he is now entering a more intriguing opportunity.

Youngblood made 32 appearances with the Thunder this season, averaging 2.0 points in just 5.4 minutes per game. The young guard dropped a career-high nine points on 3-7 shooting from beyond the arc in just eight minutes of action in January, but has looked much more promising in the G League.

Back-to-back triples for Chris Youngblood 🔥

He's got 9 points off the bench for OKC! pic.twitter.com/7uuGo1rq1u
— NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2025

In ten regular season appearances with the Oklahoma City Blue, Youngblood averaged 23.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 46.3% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range. The rookie guard plays physically and with high effort, so in the right system, there is no reason why he cannot contribute.

Blazers grade: B

Youngblood joins Caleb Love and Javonte Cooke on Portland's two-way contracts. Not to say they are not impressive players, as Love has especially made a big impact this season, but they are all on the older side.

Cissoko was an ideal two-way player because he was just 21 years old and showed many flashes of his potential, which ultimately earned him a standard contract. Youngblood and Love are both 24, while Cooke is 26. It would have been great to see the Blazers look toward a younger option, but it does no harm to take a swing on Youngblood in this position.

As the Blazers fight for a spot in the play-in tournament, we will likely not see much of Youngblood to close out the season, but he should continue to have G League opportunities to shine.