Why Mavs Cannot Afford to Let Moussa Cisse Walk

Nobody wanted Moussa Cisse in June 2025. He went undrafted, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Dallas, and converted to a two-way contract in October. He spent the rest of the season making 29 other front offices look foolish. His two-way deal is now expiring, and the Mavericks cannot let him walk.

Cisse appeared in 38 NBA games this season, averaging 13.9 minutes per appearance while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach, he is one of the more physically imposing backup centers in the league.

He used every inch of that frame this season, protecting the rim, finishing lobs above it and giving Dallas the high-energy interior presence it needed behind Daniel Gafford on nights when the game got physical.

READ MORE:Mavs Face Complicated Dereck Lively II Contract Extension Decision

The rawness is real; he chases blocks and picks up fouls at a rate that needs to come down. His free throw percentage, 43.8 percent for his career, is a legitimate concern that requires serious offseason attention.

But he is 23 years old with elite physical tools and plays with the kind of effort that coaches and front offices value in reserve bigs. The Bench Mob Blog wrote earlier this season that Cisse is going to be a full-time rotation player in this league, nothing about his 2025-26 season argues against that.

The center situation in Dallas this summer is more unsettled than most people are discussing. Dereck Lively II is recovering from his second consecutive season-ending foot surgery and has no guaranteed return date before training camp, while Gafford is openly available in trade discussions.

Dwight Powell is a free agent, and at 35 years old, his return is far from certain. If even one of those situations goes sideways, Dallas enters October without reliable center depth behind a still-recovering Lively.

READ MORE:Wild NBA Draft Paths for Mavs Created By NoCeilings Simulator

Cisse fills that gap at minimum cost, Dallas signed him off the street last summer for essentially nothing. A standard contract at or near the league minimum keeps him in the building, allows him to develop with consistent NBA reps, and solves a real roster construction problem without touching the salary structure the front office is trying to build around Cooper Flagg.