Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks have a frontcourt problem - and it’s not just about injuries. It’s about timing, contract limitations, and a young center named Moussa Cisse who’s suddenly become essential, but whose availability is running out fast.
Cisse, playing on a two-way contract, is only eligible to be active in 50 games this season. He’s already burned through 37 of them, and here’s the kicker - he didn’t even play in 11 of those.
That’s where the frustration starts. Because now, with the Mavericks short-handed at center, Cisse is proving he can contribute, but the team may not be able to use him when they need him most.
Let’s rewind to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Cisse stepped into the spotlight with a breakout performance: 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in a win over the Knicks. It wasn’t just a good game - it was a statement.
Over the last three contests, he’s logged more than 20 minutes a night, showing off his shot-blocking instincts and high-motor rebounding. At 6-foot-11, he’s raw but clearly has the tools to help this team right now.
And that’s the issue. With Dereck Lively II out for the season and Anthony Davis sidelined indefinitely, the Mavericks are scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to big-man depth.
Daniel Gafford, who was expected to be a key rotation piece, has been hampered by an ankle injury that’s lingered all year. That leaves Dwight Powell - the veteran who’s quietly stepped up this season - and Cisse, whose clock is ticking.
The real problem? Cisse’s current situation could’ve been avoided.
Kidd activated him for 37 games, but in nearly a third of those, he didn’t see the floor. Those DNP-CDs (Did Not Play - Coach’s Decision) are now looming large.
Every game Cisse was active but didn’t play still counted toward his 50-game limit. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team now desperate for size and defensive presence inside.
This isn’t the first time the Mavs have mismanaged a two-way contract. Last season, Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards both hit the 50-game cap before the team could make a move. It’s a pattern that’s starting to cost Dallas at the worst possible time.
Now, Kidd is in a tight spot. He has just 13 more games to use Cisse unless the front office converts his two-way deal into a standard NBA contract.
And with the team’s frontcourt depth nearly depleted, every one of those games matters. Cisse is no longer a developmental project - he’s a vital piece of the rotation, whether he’s ready or not.
The Mavericks don’t have the luxury of waiting. Powell, who’s been something of a safety net for years, is likely looking at heavy minutes down the stretch.
But even he can’t carry the load alone. Ideally, Cisse would’ve already taken over a bigger share of those minutes.
Instead, the Mavs are stuck rationing his appearances, trying to stretch those final 13 games as far as they can.
It’s not that Cisse is a finished product - far from it. His offensive game is still developing, and his pick-and-roll timing needs polish.
But what he brings defensively - rim protection, energy, and physicality - is exactly what Dallas needs right now. He’s outplaying the limitations of his contract, and that’s not something you can ignore.
The only way out of this bind is for the Mavericks to either promote Cisse to a standard contract or find help at the trade deadline. A potential return for Davis could ease the pressure, and reports suggest he won’t need surgery and may be back in a few weeks.
But that’s not a guarantee. And until then, the Mavericks are walking a tightrope with their frontcourt rotation.
Bottom line: Kidd didn’t ask for three of his top bigs to go down, but he did have control over how Cisse’s games were used. And now that mismanagement is coming back to bite. If the Mavericks want to stay competitive in the West, they’ll need to make a move - or risk watching a valuable contributor sit on the bench because of a technicality.