With Marvin Bagley III off to the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks should re-sign Moussa Cissé, a restricted free agent, to address thin center depth.
The Dallas Mavericks are losing Marvin Bagley III in free agency after he agreed to sign a one-year minimum deal with the Denver Nuggets. As it stands, the Mavs face an important next order of business: re-sign Moussa Cissé.
Bagley provided reserve minutes after being acquired at the trade deadline, but considering Dereck Lively II will be returning from injury and Daniel Gafford has not been traded, the current outlook is limited for another big man. Bagley will receive more opportunities in Denver. However, as recent seasons have shown, the Mavericks must strongly value center depth since a lot can go wrong regarding injuries during an 82-game season.
The Mavericks quickly extended a two-way qualifying offer to Cissé before free agency opened, making him a restricted free agent. The move provides Dallas with the option to match any contract he signs this summer.
Cissé arrived in Dallas as an undrafted free agent last summer and signed a two-way contract last July. It was difficult to convert him to a standard contract, given how financially constrained the Mavericks were before trading Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Danté Exum to the Washington Wizards in February.
Though initially overlooked, Cissé saw increased playtime due to frontcourt injuries. He played in 38 games, with one start, averaging 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes, shooting 57.4%.
Cissé is 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 reach, providing solid rebounding and shot-blocking even with limited touches. He brought energy and efficiency to the Mavericks, ending the season with a 17-point, 20-rebound performance against the Bulls.
Bagley's exit leaves Dallas with less interior strength: Gafford and P.J. Washington remain, but Lively is still recovering from foot surgery, and Powell remains unsigned and might not return. The Mavericks brought in Morez Johnson Jr. using the ninth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft and traded for Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies, but neither provides the paint presence that Cissé offers at the center position. Cissé is the most cost-effective and sensible option to cover those minutes.
Cissé's qualifying offer is under $2.2 million, and renewals would be near the minimum salary. With president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, general manager Mike Schmitz, and head coach Dusty May building around Cooper Flagg, it is vital to have affordable, talented young players. At 23, Cissé is developing alongside Dallas's key players and fits this strategy well.
Development is needed for Cissé to be a contributor in high-stakes situations, but it's worth the investment for the Mavericks. He is raw offensively, chases blocks and fouls at a high rate, and he's not a playoff rotation option yet. These are typical second-year big growing pains and don't outweigh his value, especially with Dallas short-handed up front.
Dallas wants Cissé back on a standard deal, with the team's and trade-deadline history supporting this. The Mavericks converted only Ryan Nembhard and limited Cissé to eight games, but with Bagley's move to Denver, there's little reason to hesitate. Keeping the rim protector, who will be 24 before next season, at minimal cost is Dallas's clearest offseason move.
