The New York Knicks have placed center Moussa Cisse on a two-year restricted-free-agent offer sheet. Both years are set at the league minimum; the first year carries a partial guarantee while the second is non-guaranteed. The Dallas Mavericks now have a 48-hour window to decide whether to match the contract.
The structure of the offer keeps New York comfortably under the second luxury-apron threshold, a ceiling that owner James Dolan has publicly pledged to respect. By staying at the minimum for a player with Cisse’s service time, the Knicks preserve flexibility for other roster moves while adhering to the apron constraint.
Cisse entered the league undrafted after a five-year collegiate career that spanned three schools, finishing at Memphis. He signed with Dallas on an Exhibit-10 contract last season, which was later converted to a two-way deal. In Dallas, he appeared in 38 games, averaging 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest. Those numbers reflect a role player who contributed solid minutes and provided rim protection when called upon.
From a basketball perspective, Cisse brings the athleticism and shot-blocking ability New York has lacked since the departures of Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti in free agency. His skill set includes finishing alley-oop lob passes and defending pick-and-roll actions, offering head coach Tom Thibodeau a versatile third-center option without sacrificing cap flexibility.
The move fits the Knicks’ recent pattern of low-cost, high-upside acquisitions aimed at shoring up interior depth while staying under the apron. For the Mavericks, the offer sheet forces a choice: retain a depth piece who proved he can rotate in Dallas’ frontcourt, or let him depart and free a modest amount of cap space for other moves. If Dallas declines to match, Cisse will join New York for the upcoming season and will compete for the bench-center role behind Julius Randle and the newly added big men. Either outcome will be settled within the 48-hour deadline, shaping the Knicks’ bench roster for the next phase of their rebuild.
