Mavericks Keep Cisse
Dallas Mavericks Secure Center Moussa Cisse After Knicks Offer Sheet, Highlighting Rookie Season Success
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The Dallas Mavericks have re-signed center Moussa Cisse, keeping the young big man in Texas after reports that he had signed an offer sheet with the New York Knicks. Winnipeg Free Press reported that Dallas did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Cisse is a restricted free agent, meaning Dallas had the right to match any outside offer — which is exactly what they did. The move signals the Mavericks believe the 6-foot-11 center is part of their future.
Knicks Made a Move, Mavs Fired Back Fast
Multiple reports surfaced that Cisse had signed an offer sheet with the New York Knicks, according to Daily Item. That triggered Dallas's right to match the offer as his restricted free agent. The Mavericks wasted no time exercising that right.
Restricted free agency works like this: a player can sign an offer from any team, but his current team can match the deal and keep him. The Knicks took a shot at Cisse. Dallas answered.
Cisse Tied a Decades-Old Mavs Rookie Record
Cisse made headlines in the final game of the 2025-26 season against Chicago. He pulled down 20 rebounds in that game, tying a rookie franchise record set by Roy Tarpley. That kind of performance made keeping him a priority, according to HNG News.
Tarpley's record had stood for decades. Matching it as a rookie — in a two-way contract season, no less — put Cisse on the Mavericks' radar as a player worth fighting for.
Third Among Rookies in Blocks, Drafted from Memphis
Cisse ranks third among all rookies in blocks per game this season, according to Idaho Press. At 6-foot-11, he brings size and rim protection — two things that are hard to find and easy to lose. Dallas originally drafted him out of Memphis.
He spent his first NBA season on a two-way contract, which limits a player to a certain number of days with the main roster. Despite those limits, Cisse made a strong case for a full deal. Now he has one.
What This Means for Dallas Going Forward
Keeping Cisse blocks the Knicks from adding a promising young center. New York had been looking to add size. Instead, Dallas gets to hold onto one of the better young rim protectors in this rookie class.
Dallas did not reveal the contract length or salary. But the decision to match a Knicks offer sheet — from one of the NBA's biggest markets — shows the Mavericks are committed to building around players like Cisse for the long haul.
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