DHJ Quick Take: Knicks Sign Moussa Cissé To Offer Sheet
The New York Knicks signed Dallas Mavericks restricted free agent center Moussa Cissé to a two-year, minimum-salary offer sheet Saturday, putting Dallas on the clock to match.
- What are the terms? A two-year deal at the NBA minimum: 2026-27 is 50% guaranteed, 2027-28 is fully non-guaranteed. Based on the current minimum-salary scale, that projects to roughly $2.19 million in Year 1 and $2.57 million in Year 2.
- Why New York? The Knicks are near the second apron and had already struck out on center trade targets Yves Missi and Moussa Diabate.
- Will Dallas match? Cissé is the Mavericks’ only proven traditional center behind Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and the team has no roster or cap obstacle to matching.
- What’s next? Dallas has until Monday, July 20, at 10:59 p.m. CT (11:59 p.m. ET) to notify the league whether it will match.
DALLAS — The New York Knicks signed Dallas Mavericks restricted free agent center Moussa Cissé to a two-year offer sheet Saturday, Dallas Hoops Journal has learned. The deal is worth the NBA’s minimum salary, with Cissé’s 2026-27 salary 50% guaranteed and his 2027-28 salary fully non-guaranteed. Dallas now has until Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET to decide whether to match.
Based on the NBA’s minimum-salary scale and standard two-year minimum contract structure, the deal projects to approximately $2.19 million in 2026-27 and $2.57 million in 2027-28, for a total value of roughly $4.76 million. Offer sheets often include player-friendly provisions designed to make them less attractive to match. One potential mechanism would be an earlier guarantee trigger for the second season than is found in a standard non-guaranteed contract.
New York Made The Move
New York’s need for a backup center traces back to the departure of Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick and a key interior presence off the bench during New York’s run to the 2026 NBA championship, the franchise’s first title in 53 years. Robinson signed with the Celtics in free agency after ownership mandated the Knicks stay under the second tax apron to preserve the championship core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, leaving New York unable to compete with the roughly $15 million annual salary Robinson commanded on the open market.
The Knicks are already close to the NBA’s second tax apron, limiting them to offers around the minimum salary. New York had also pursued trades involving Pelicans forward Yves Missi and Hornets forward Moussa Diabate before turning to Cissé to fill their backup center need.
Dallas Mavericks Likely to Match
Dallas already carries 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, including Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, No. 9 pick Morez Johnson Jr., P.J. Washington and Santi Aldama at the four and five. Lively has missed extended time in each of his three seasons; Gafford battled a right ankle issue for most of last season; Johnson is a rookie; and Washington and Aldama have played primarily at power forward, leaving Cissé as one of the few proven bodies at true center.
Nothing on the cap prevents Dallas from matching, and the Mavericks face no immediate roster crunch forcing their hand — teams are permitted to carry up to 21 players on their offseason roster before trimming to 15 ahead of the regular season. Teams in Dallas’ position have typically matched contracts at this value in recent years.
Moussa Cissé’s Path to Restricted Free Agency
Cissé went undrafted out of Memphis in 2025 after playing at four schools across five college seasons. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Dallas for training camp before converting to a two-way contract ahead of the 2025-26 season.
In 38 games (1 start), he averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes, shooting 57.4% from the field. He also appeared in 16 G League games with the Texas Legends, averaging 14.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 27.7 minutes.
The Mavericks tendered him a two-way qualifying offer last month, making him a restricted free agent.
More Mavericks Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘An X-Factor Out There’: Darin Green Jr.’s 21 Points Power Dallas Mavericks Past New York Knicks 110-88 To Close Summer League
- ‘Doing Whatever The Game Requires’: Dallas Mavericks Beat Oklahoma City Thunder 97-87 As Sergio De Larrea Dishes 14 Assists
- Miami Heat Have ‘Strong Interest’ In Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson
- Dallas Mavericks Officially Sign Tarik Biberović After Six-Team Trade
- ‘He Plays So Hard On Both Ends’: Ryan Nembhard Details Morez Johnson Jr.’s Standout Two-Way Impact
- ‘We’re Excited About Kyrie’: Dusty May Likens Kyrie Irving Workout To Watching Picasso Paint
- Rick Welts Explains Why Dallas Mavericks Wanted Chase ‘And Nobody Else’ For Jersey Patch
- Dallas Mavericks, JPMorgan Chase Announce Multi-Year Jersey Patch Partnership
