The Knicks kept swinging for a young center and kept coming up empty, and that matters for Boston in a very specific way: it leaves the Celtics in position to enjoy another New York miss.
Boston already strengthened its own center group by taking Mitchell Robinson away from a rival, a move that pushed the Knicks to hunt for help in the middle. The reigning NBA champions answered their own need by signing Andre Drummond, the Mount Vernon, New York, native who gives them a physical backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns and, as Celtics fans learned in last year’s playoffs, can even knock down a corner 3 now and then.
New York, meanwhile, kept looking for a younger, more athletic option to add to the frontcourt mix. The Knicks pursued Yves Missi from the New Orleans Pelicans, but that went nowhere.
Boston has reportedly shown interest in Missi at times as well, yet New Orleans has not received an offer strong enough to move on from the 22-year-old center. The Knicks also had interest in Moussa Diabate, but the Charlotte Hornets have not been willing to part with him either.
After those misses, New York appears to have landed on a different target.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Knicks have signed restricted free agent center Moussa Cisse to a two-year offer sheet. Dallas, his current team, has until Monday to decide whether to match.
The New York Knicks have signed restricted free agent center Moussa Cissé to a two-year offer sheet, I’m told. Dallas will have through Monday to match.
More NBA from @TheSteinLine: https://t.co/dper6CKfhf
- Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 18, 2026
Cisse went undrafted but still found a role in his rookie season, appearing in 38 games and making one start. He averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 13.9 minutes per game.
At 6-foot-11, the 23-year-old from Guinea brings size, length and athleticism to the position. For a team trying to fill out its depth chart at center, he fits the profile.
Still, Diabate and Missi have both shown more in their young careers, and depending on the cost, either one would have been a stronger get for New York. Cisse might turn into something useful, and if Dallas lets him go, he should be able to settle in as a third option at center without making waves. But there’s a reason he wasn’t the Knicks’ first choice or even their second.
For Celtics fans, that’s enough to enjoy the moment. And if Dallas matches the offer sheet, the grin gets even wider.
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Joe Mazzulla Faces A Tricky Mike Conley Balancing Act
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Joe Mazzullas staff has options, but the balancing act goes beyond simply trimming a veterans minutes. The Celtics also want to keep developing younger pieces like Jordan Walsh, who has spent the offseason working to become a much better offensive player and reshape his identity, so the challenge is finding a rotation that protects Conley without slowing the growth of the next wave. [Read more 🡒]