The Mavericks’ crowded frontcourt is suddenly creating a roster puzzle, and Moussa Cisse may be the piece that gets moved.
Dallas is carrying 16 players after bringing back Dwight Powell on a one-year deal before training camp, which puts the team in a spot where one roster move has to be made. With waiver timing and dead cap implications looming, the Mavericks are facing the kind of decision teams try to settle quickly when the calendar turns tight. The simplest financial path appears to be moving on from Cisse, the second-year center whose contract is inexpensive and movable.
That doesn’t automatically make the decision easy. Cisse is a young player with some upside, while Powell is a veteran whose role would likely be limited to the end of the bench.
But the Mavericks also have a packed group at center already. Dereck Lively II is recovering from foot surgery, yet Dallas still has Daniel Gafford, 9th overall pick Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Powell available to soak up minutes inside.
Of that group, Cisse may only be able to carve out a lane ahead of Powell, and the staff appears to trust Powell more.
That’s where Philadelphia enters the picture.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the 76ers are monitoring Cisse as they look for another center after losing Ariel Hukporti to a season-ending Achilles tear. Fischer wrote: “The Mavericks' Moussa Cissé is another name to potentially file away for the Sixers after the loss to Ariel Hukporti to a season-ending Achilles tear. Cissé's availability, mind you, likely depends on what Dallas decides to do with its final roster spot,” Fischer wrote.
Philadelphia’s need is obvious. The Sixers already had a thin center situation, and the Hukporti injury only made it more urgent.
Joel Embiid is there, but the team can’t count on him being available all the time. Adem Bona, who was solid for them last year, is the other true center on the roster.
Jabari Walker and Dean Wade could handle some small-ball center minutes, but Philadelphia would still need another big for stretches when Embiid sits.
If Dallas can turn Cisse into draft capital, that would give them a clean solution to a logjam. The question is whether the 76ers would be willing to give up a second-round pick to make it happen.
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Mavericks Could Face A Roster Squeeze Lakers Fans Should Watch
The Lakers search for another backup big man has nudged Dallas back into the rumor mill, with one proposed deal sending center Moussa Cisse to Los Angeles and bringing guard Jaden Hardy to the Mavericks. It is the kind of framework that makes sense on paper for both sides: the Lakers address a depth need behind their frontcourt, while Dallas would add a young scorer who could give the second unit a lift.
For the Mavericks, the more immediate wrinkle is the roster math. A move like this could help clear the way if they need to make space for Dwight Powell, which adds another layer to a decision already tied to fit and finances. Hardys ability to create points off the bench is the appealing part for Dallas, and it is the sort of detail that makes this one worth watching even before anything becomes real. [Read more 🡒]