Moussa Cisse's over $1 million contract guarantee kicked in on Tuesday.
The Dallas Mavericks proved their liking of second-year center Moussa Cisse by matching the offer sheet he had agreed to this offseason with the New York Knicks.
Cisse, who played valuable minutes throughout last season and was restructured from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract, will once again play a key role in the Mavs' center rotation.
The first of two commitments showing Dallas' investment in Cisse hit on Tuesday.
Nearly half of his 2026-27 salary was delivered at $1.1 million. It is one of two guarantees Cisse can receive, as long as the Mavs don't release him. The second installment of his $2,185,116 salary is due Oct. 1.
Cisse is under contract for the 2027-28 season for a non-guaranteed $2.57 million.
Cisse averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in just under 14 minutes per game across 38 appearances (one start) as an undrafted rookie last season.
Following the Mavs' buyout of Klay Thompson last week, Cisse is now one of the maximum 15 standard contracts on the Mavericks for next season. He fills out a center rotation that features Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, along with a slew of athletic forwards who can play on the interior in small-ball situations.
There will be very few opportunities when any pair of the center trio will be on the floor at the same time, but despite Cisse likely sliding into that third position on the depth chart, his availability is a crucial insurance boost for Dallas.
That played a key role in the Mavs surviving (though not very competitively over the course of the season) after Lively got injured seven games into the year and did not return.
Other big-man newcomers include 6-11 forward Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas' No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft, and 7-footer Santi Aldama, who was acquired in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason. New Mavs head coach Dusty May will have plenty of combinations to experiment with in the frontcourt.
Cisse, who turns 24 on Sep. 10 and stands at 6-11, could be a long-term piece in the Cooper Flagg era of the Mavericks, alongside young, athletic two-way players who play above the rim in Lively and Johnson.
Size and youth have been noticeable factors in the Mavs' offseason decision-making under new president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz. Former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and plus-sized guards Sergio De Larrea and Tarik Biberovic were other notable offseason additions.
Retaining Cisse underscores a similar philosophy while emphasizing the team's interest in his development and his potential to contribute this upcoming season.
Dallas begins training camp on Sep. 22 before traveling to China to play two preseason games against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11.
