Knicks Sign Moussa Cissé To Offer Sheet As Mavericks Weigh Matching

by Erik MeersJuly 18, 2026, 3:35 pm >

The New York Knicks are moving to rebuild their frontcourt depth following the departure of longtime center Mitchell Robinson, agreeing to terms with restricted free agent Moussa Cissé on a two-year offer sheet. The Dallas Mavericks, who currently hold Cissé’s rights, now have the opportunity to match the offer and retain him.

Cissé’s salary for the 2026-27 season would be 50% guaranteed under the offer sheet, while his second-year salary for 2027-28 would be entirely non-guaranteed — a structure that gives Dallas some financial flexibility to weigh if it chooses to match.

Cissé, a 6-foot-11 center, went undrafted out of Memphis in 2025 after a five-year college career that also included stops at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. He signed with Dallas on a two-way contract last season and impressed enough in a limited role to earn a qualifying offer from the Mavericks this offseason, which made him a restricted free agent in the first place. In 38 games as a rookie, Cissé averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 57.4% from the field, emerging as a promising rim protector and lob threat behind Dallas centers Daniel Gafford and an injury-recovering Dereck Lively II.

The move comes as the Knicks look to fill the void left by Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Boston Celtics on July 1 after New York’s championship run this past season. Robinson, the longest-tenured player on the roster and a key rotation piece in the Knicks’ title run, was priced out of a return to New York after owner James Dolan made clear he did not want the team spending into the NBA’s second luxury-tax apron. New York has already added veteran center Andre Drummond this offseason, and a healthy, developing Cissé could offer a similar defensive profile to what Robinson provided off the bench.

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For Dallas, retaining Cissé would preserve inexpensive frontcourt depth as the team continues building around Gafford and Lively. Recent reporting indicated that the Mavericks and Cissé were expected to continue their relationship, with Cissé spotted practicing alongside Dallas’s Summer League team. Whether that relationship continues in Dallas or shifts to New York now depends on the Mavericks’ decision to match the Knicks’ offer sheet before the deadline passes.