Rayan Rupert

Rayan Rupert
No. 32 – Memphis Grizzlies
PositionShooting guard / small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2004-05-31) 31 May 2004
Strasbourg, France
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2023: 2nd round, 43rd overall pick
Drafted byPortland Trail Blazers
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2021Centre Fédéral
2021–2022Pôle France
2022–2023New Zealand Breakers
20232026Portland Trail Blazers
20232025Rip City Remix
2026–presentMemphis Grizzlies
2026–presentMemphis Hustle
Stats at NBA.com 
Stats at Basketball Reference 
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  France
FIBA U16 European Championship
2019 Italy Team

Rayan Rupert (/ˈr.ən rˈpɛər/ RYE-ən roo-PAIR;[1] born 31 May 2004) is a French professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He previously played for the New Zealand Breakers.

Early career

Rupert is a graduate of the INSEP Academy in France.[2] He is of Martiniquais[3] and Moroccan[4] descent.

Professional career

Cebtre Fédéral (2019–2021)

Between 2019 and 2021, Rupert played for Centre Fédéral in the French NM1.[5]

Pôle France (2021–2022)

Rupert continued play in the NM1 in the 2021–22 season with Pôle France.[5]

New Zealand Breakers (2022–2023)

On 10 June 2022, Rupert signed with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2022–23 NBL season as part of the league's Next Stars program.[2] The Breakers had previously seen fellow Frenchmen Hugo Besson and Ousmane Dieng selected in the 2022 NBA draft.

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–2026)

Rupert was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 43rd overall pick[6] and on 4 July 2023, he signed with the Blazers.[7] Throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons, he was often assigned to the Rip City Remix.[8][9] Rupert was waived by the Blazers on February 20, 2026.[10]

Memphis Grizzlies / Hustle (2026–present)

On 22 February 2026, Rupert was signed to a 10-day contract by the Memphis Grizzlies.[11] On 4 March, following the expiration of his 10-day deal, Memphis signed Rupert to a two-way contract.[12]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Portland 39 12 16.2 .335 .359 .760 2.4 1.6 .3 .1 4.0
2024–25 Portland 52 0 8.8 .408 .271 .767 1.3 .5 .3 .1 3.0
2025–26 Portland 48 0 12.0 .361 .310 .643 1.8 .7 .6 .0 2.9
Career 139 12 12.0 .367 .317 .739 1.8 .9 .4 .1 3.2

Personal life

Rupert's father, Thierry, was a EuroLeague player and captain of the French national team while his sister, Iliana, was the 12th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft. His cousin, Kameron Jones, a cancer survivor, is a chemistry major at UMBC.[13]

References

  1. ^ "2023–24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide". NBA.com (Press release). 24 October 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "French Phenom Rayan Rupert the Latest NBL Next Star". NBL.com.au. 10 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  3. ^ "À 18 ans, le basketteur martiniquais Rayan Rupert conquiert l'Australie et se rapproche de la NBA". Outre-mer la 1ère. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  4. ^ AlmarssadPro [@ProsMarocains] (23 June 2023). "Rayan Rupert with his Moroccan mother ❤️🇲🇦. #NBADraft2023 We apologise for the previous post" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 January 2025 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ a b "Rayan Rupert". AustraliaBasket.com. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Trail Blazers select Rayan Rupert in second round of the 2023 NBA Draft". NBA.com. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Trail Blazers Sign Rayan Rupert". NBA.com. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  8. ^ "2023–2024 Rip City Remix Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ^ "2024–2025 Rip City Remix Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Trail Blazers Convert Sidy Cissoko To Standard NBA Contract". NBA.com. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Grizzlies Sign Rayan Rupert to 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Grizzlies Sign Rayan Rupert to Two-Way Contract". nba.com. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Basketball: New Zealand Breakers sign French teenager Rayan Rupert". NZHerald.co.nz. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.