LEWISVILLE, Texas — Dallas Mavericks big man Moussa Cissé made an appearance at Tuesday’s Mavs Hoop Camp, helping with drills and competing against the campers in knockout.
“It means a lot; I like being around the kids,” Cissé said. “When I was younger, I used to look up to players that do camps and stuff. Now, I’m in the position where I gotta come to the camps and spend some time with kids. It’s fun.”
Cissé expanded, speaking about how basketball can be used as a tool to bring different kinds of people together.
“Basketball brings a lot of people, different types of people, around together. And then, spend some time together,” Cissé said. “Me being around here, around kids, reminds me of when I was younger.”
Moussa Cissé’s New Contract
After the camp, Cissé spoke to reporters about the new contract he just inked with Dallas.
The 23-year-old agreed to a two-year, $4.7 million contract with the New York Knicks, but the Mavericks quickly matched the offer and put Cissé on a standard contract after playing out his rookie year on a two-way deal.
“That’s what every basketball player wants, to be on a standard contract,” Cissé said. “That don’t mean the job is done. I gotta keep working.”
He played in 38 contests with Dallas as a rookie, averaging 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds while juggling responsibilities with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate.
“I always appreciated those games (with the) Texas Legends,” Cissé said. “It was a growing experience for me. Going over there, obviously this year I’m still gonna go watch some of their games because being out there, it was just like a pure love and pure basketball.”
For 2026-27, 50% of Cissé’s contract is guaranteed unless he remains with the team through September 1, in which case he’ll receive at least $1.1 million from the deal. If Cissé makes it through October 1, his contract for 2026-27 becomes fully guaranteed. The $2.57 million that he’s owed for 2027-28 is fully non-guaranteed.
Because Dallas matched New York’s offer sheet, Cissé cannot be traded without his consent for one year and cannot be traded to the Knicks at all during that time.
What Moussa Cissé Hopes To Bring To Dallas In 2027
With his deal only partially guaranteed, Cissé is focused on how he can improve his game and carve out a role in a center rotation that includes Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, who is in the midst of contract negotiations of his own.
“Being able to read off of my teammates, learn their games, know where they wanna be at and where I’m supposed to be at,” Cissé said. “Be good at my position, what I do the best, and then be the best at it.”
Off the court, Cissé also highlighted his experiences with the Mavericks’ new leadership, including Masai Ujiri and new head coach Dusty May. Those experiences have given Cissé even more motivation to do whatever is needed to win games.
“I had a conversation with all of them,” Cissé said. “When Coach Dusty got hired, he reached out to me. That was beautiful: a head coach reaching out to you and then telling you he had faith in you and trust in you. That puts you in a position where you gotta work hard and not try to disappoint him, so that’s my goal. Going into the season and doing whatever it takes to win.”
