The Dallas Mavericks didn’t waste much time, quickly matching the New York Knicks’ offer sheet for Moussa Cisse. The Knicks, looking to bolster their frontcourt depth, signed Cisse to a two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet on Saturday, and the Mavs had 48 hours to match it. They took less than 11 hours to do so.
The Dallas Mavericks have matched the New York Knicks’ two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet on restricted free agent Moussa Cisse, Yann Balikouzou and Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management tell ESPN. The 6-foot-11 center signed the Knicks sheet earlier Saturday but Dallas… https://t.co/VYt60xpxoY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2026
Mavericks Foil Knicks Theft Attempt, Keep Moussa Cisse; What Does Decision Mean For Both Franchises
Cisse showed some promise in his rookie season with Dallas last year. The athletic 6-11 center averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds (2.3 offensive) and 1.2 blocks over 13 minutes in 38 appearances. He produced two double-doubles while scoring in double figures five times, with seven games of 10 or more boards. His best game came in the Mavericks’ season finale against the Chicago Bulls, where he tallied 17 points and 20 rebounds (10 offensive), two steals and two blocks.
Cisse, undrafted out of Memphis in 2025, had his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal before the regular season. Despite being ticketed to spend most of the season with the G-League Texas Legends, he spent more time than expected with the Mavericks due to injuries to Dereck Lively II.
Cisse is a defense-oriented big whose value lies in his shot-blocking and paint deterrence. Cisse is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. While limited offensively, he runs the floor extremely well, has legitimate vertical pop, and finishes well above the rim.
What Does Mavericks Matching Moussa Cisse’s Offer Mean?
Cisse will earn $2.2 million this year, with half of that salary becoming guaranteed on September 1, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Marks said the deal is fully guaranteed on October 1, and he cannot be traded without his consent for one year. Additionally, he can’t be traded to the Knicks over this one-year period.
Dallas had until 11:59PM ET. on Monday night to match the two-year Offer Sheet.
Not including Two-Ways, 16 players on Standard Contracts, 15 that are guaranteed.
The Cisse $2.2M salary this season increases to $1.1M in protection if not waived on or before 11:59PM ET. on Sept.… https://t.co/cgyjNXvqgS
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 19, 2026
Cisse projects to be third on the Mavericks center depth chart behind Lively and Daniel Gafford. However, the Mavs frontcourt is very crowded with the addition of Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. Aldama and Johnson can play both frontcourt positions, as can Cooper Flagg and PJ Washington. Meanwhile, Naji Marshall, Tyler Smith (2-way contract), and Tobi Lawal (2-way) add depth.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Dallas matched New York’s offer sheet. The Mavericks have been acquiring young players all summer long. The Mavericks have acquired Aldama, Johnson, Lawal, Sergio de Larrea, Tarik Biberovic, and Marcus Sasser via trades or the draft.
By keeping Cisse, Dallas now has 16 players with standard contracts, with Cisse’s deal the only one not fully guaranteed. The Mavericks are still $13.7 million below the tax.
Kyrie Irving, Gafford, Klay Thompson and Marshall have drawn interest from teams. Thompson is most likely of the four to be moved this summer. Thompson is on an expiring $17.4 million deal.
What Is Next For New York Knicks
Cisse was projected to be the Knicks’ third center behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Now, it is back to the drawing board with one roster spot to fill. The Knicks, who are $3.2 million below the second apron, could now turn their attention to Nick Richards, whom they have been linked to recently.
If New York decides not to sign a center or veteran to a standard deal, the Knicks would likely give the final spot to Tyler Nickel. By doing so, the Knicks would save a little money, as they could sign the Vanderbilt product via the second-round exception.
Nickel, known for his shooting gravity, showed off his shooting ability during the summer league in Vegas. Nickel scored in double figures twice and drained three or more treys in all five games. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 threes with shooting splits of 37.5/41.3/0.0.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
