Mavs Block Knicks, Match Offer To Keep Promising Young Center
· Yahoo Sports
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavs have over the course of time lost plenty of big men to the New York Knicks.
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But not this time.
The long history of bigs moving between the Knicks and Mavericks could've continued, as on Saturday, 23-year-old restricted free agent Moussa Cissé agreed to a two-year offer sheet with the reigning-champion Knicks, per The Stein Line's Jake Fischer.
Dallas had through Monday to decide whether or not it will match Cissé's offer sheet. ... and before the stroke of midnight on Saturday, the call was made.
The Mavs are matching the two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet to retain the 6-11 center.
Cissé, a former undrafted free agent out of Memphis, joins a slew of other centers to have stints in both Dallas and New York alongside the likes of Tyson Chandler, Samuel Dalembert, Nerlens Noel, Amar'e Stoudemire and Kristaps Porzingis.
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After not being selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cissé eventually joined the Mavericks through a two-way contract back on October 18.
In his rookie campaign, Cissé made 38 appearances (one start) while playing 13.9 minutes each night.
He'd conclude his first season as a pro averaging 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.5 steals per game.
Cissé split time between the Mavs' active roster and the G-League's Texas Legends, where the numbers were far more striking.
In 15 appearances (all starts), Cissé produced 14.7 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, 4.9 of which came on the offensive glass.
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He was even more productive defensively than he was with Dallas, averaging 2.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per appearance with the Legends.
After losing Marvin Bagley III to the Denver Nuggets this summer, our own Grant Afseth detailed the importance of retaining Cissé for frontcourt depth.
"Bagley's exit leaves Dallas with less interior strength: Gafford and P.J. Washington remain, but Lively is still recovering from foot surgery, and Powell remains unsigned and might not return," Afseth wrote back on July 2. "The Mavericks brought in Morez Johnson Jr. using the ninth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft and traded for Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies, but neither provides the paint presence that Cissé offers at the center position. Cissé is the most cost-effective and sensible option to cover those minutes."
And the Mavs apparently agree with that sentiment, so Cissé is staying in Dallas as a pocket-friendly big.