‘The Opportunity Should Be There’: Dusty May On Moussa Cissé After Dallas Mavericks Keep Center Over Dwight Powell

DALLAS — Moussa Cissé should get game minutes this season with injuries in the frontcourt, Dallas Mavericks coach Dusty May said after practice Monday. Dallas waived Dwight Powell earlier in the day and kept the second-year center.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported last week that Dallas was exploring ways to keep Powell, which could have meant parting with Cissé. The Mavericks matched a New York Knicks offer sheet for Cissé in July, and his $2.2M salary became fully guaranteed when Dallas kept him past Oct. 1.

As a rookie in 2025-26, Cissé averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes over 38 games. He shot 57.4% from the field.

Dusty May On Moussa Cissé

May wants Cissé to keep getting stronger in his lower body. Dereck Lively II has not played since Nov. 21, 2025, and Santi Aldama did not go through a full practice Monday.

“Just continuing improving, getting his lower body stronger,” May said. “He’s made strides. He did a nice job of rim protection. He puts pressure on the rim as a rim roller. He’s eager. He’s in here working.”

“And so I think it’s just continue with the upper trajectory of getting better,” May continued. “And especially with injuries and things like that, the opportunity should be there for him to get some game minutes. And he’s a good screener. He’s an athletic, active body.”

May On Offensive Rebounding And Cooper Flagg

Offensive rebounding was a point of emphasis for May throughout the preseason. Dallas went 1-3 in four exhibition games.

“Whenever we get great ball movement, we take the right shots, it’s been pretty good. When we’ve shot unexpected shots, it hasn’t been that great,” May explained. “We still have room to grow in that area, but there were games when we did at a high level. So yeah, we’re a work in progress, but we definitely got better in that area.”

Cooper Flagg pulled down 12 rebounds in 30 minutes of Friday’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Hawks. He won Rookie of the Year last season.

“He has great instincts for the ball,” May said. “He’s quick, he’s athletic, and he’s big. Those things all lend themselves to being a really good rebounder.”

Dallas opens the regular season Wednesday at the Houston Rockets, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Center. The Mavericks’ home opener is Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.