DALLAS — Center Moussa Cissé cleared the first of two guarantee dates on his Dallas Mavericks contract Tuesday, locking in $1.1 million of the $2,185,116 he is owed for 2026-27.
The remainder guarantees Oct. 1 if the Mavericks don’t waive him beforehand. His 2027-28 salary of $2,571,895 is not guaranteed.
The New York Knicks signed Cissé, a restricted free agent, to a two-year offer sheet worth $4.7 million on July 18. Dallas had 48 hours to match and did so in fewer than 11. Cissé is represented by Yann Balikouzou and Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management.
Since the Mavericks matched, Cissé cannot be traded for a year without his approval and cannot go to the Knicks during that period. His salary contributes $2,449,421 toward the luxury tax and team aprons, which is the minimum for a player with two years of service.
Where Moussa Cissé Fits On The Dallas Mavericks Roster
Dallas had 16 players on standard contracts after the match, and Cissé’s was the only 2026-27 salary that was not fully guaranteed. The Mavericks got to 15 on Aug. 21 by reaching a buyout with Klay Thompson, who gave back about $9.8 million of the $17.5 million left on his deal. That left Dallas roughly $11.8 million under the luxury tax. Teams must be down to 15 standard contracts by Oct. 19.
Cissé averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes over 38 games as a rookie. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2025, converted to a two-way deal at the end of the preseason, and split the season between Dallas and the Texas Legends. He turns 24 on Sept. 10.
The 6-foot-11 center is from Conakry, Guinea. He played one season at Memphis, two at Oklahoma State, and one at Ole Miss before returning to Memphis for 2024-25. He was the Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and a two-time pick on the conference all-defensive team.
Moussa Cissé And The Dallas Mavericks Center Rotation
Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II are ahead of Cissé in the rotation. The Mavericks drafted Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall in June and acquired Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies in a six-team trade in July. Lively missed most of last season and had surgery on his right foot. He and the Mavericks opened early-stage extension talks in July.
Dallas opens training camp Sept. 22, a week ahead of the rest of the league because it is playing preseason games overseas. The Mavericks face the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, then host the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 14 and the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 16. Tip-off for both home games is 7 p.m. CT. Rosters are due at 4 p.m. CT on Oct. 19. Dallas opens the regular season at Houston on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT.
