The Mavericks have a roster problem, but it’s the kind every team would rather have than the alternative. Dallas has all 15 standard contract spots filled and all three two-way slots spoken for, yet Moussa Cisse is still hanging in limbo after getting a qualifying offer.
That leaves the Mavericks with a pretty narrow path if they want to keep the breakout big man from last season. The cleanest answer, according to the reporting, is to move on from current two-way signee Tyler Smith.
There isn’t an easy route to bring Cisse back on a standard NBA deal and slot him in as the third-string center. Dallas would have to trade or waive someone on the standard roster, and after the team’s recent reshuffling, no obvious move jumps off the page.
Caleb Martin could be considered expendable, and the same goes for Klay Thompson, but both wings fill needs Dallas doesn’t want to create more problems around. Martin gives the Mavericks perimeter defense.
Thompson brings 3-point shooting. Those are not easy pieces to replace.
The frontcourt picture is complicated, too. Interior depth matters, especially with Dereck Lively II still recovering from foot surgery and Daniel Gafford’s immediate future uncertain.
Even so, Dallas did draft Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick and traded for Santi Aldama. Both are more natural power forwards, but each can slide to center in a pinch.
That’s why Cisse still stands out. He offers something different: a true rim-running, shot-blocking five.
Dallas may not need that skill set right this second, but it remains an important need. If the Mavericks want to keep him, the move that makes the most sense is clearing a two-way spot.
Among the other two-way players, John Poulakidas and Tobi Lawal have stronger cases to stay. Poulakidas, an undrafted free agent last season, averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 40.3 percent from deep. The Yale product’s shooting profile is as ready-made as it gets.
Lawal also has momentum on his side. Dallas took him with the 48th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, so the Mavericks are likely to give the 23-year-old a long look before making any calls on his future. He looks like the safest bet to keep his two-way deal for all of next season.
That leaves Smith as the odd man out. He’s entering his third season and still hasn’t done enough in either the NBA or the G League to force the issue.
The appeal is obvious - a 6-foot-9 forward with perimeter skills always gets attention - but the production hasn’t matched the projection. Cisse’s actual output simply carries more weight.
So while the roster math looks messy, the solution is not. If Dallas wants Moussa Cisse back, the most straightforward answer is to cut Tyler Smith loose and open the two-way spot.
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