The Knicks’ path back to Moussa Cisse just got a lot narrower.
New York has already added three veteran centers - James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley - but that hasn’t necessarily closed the door on another big man. The problem is that one of the more intriguing possibilities appears to be slipping away after the Dallas Mavericks kept Cisse on the roster past a key guarantee deadline.
Dallas had brought back veteran center Dwight Powell, which briefly fueled speculation that Cisse could be waived before his contract became fully guaranteed on the night of Oct. 1. If that had happened, New York might have had a shot to circle back.
Instead, Thursday night passed without the Mavericks cutting him. Cisse’s contract for the 2026-27 season is now fully guaranteed, and the Knicks are left hoping for a much less likely opening.
That matters because New York already played its hand once. The Knicks signed Cisse, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet near the end of July.
Dallas matched it, keeping him in place. Since New York extended the offer sheet but didn’t land the player, the Knicks are barred from trading for Cisse for one year.
That restriction takes away the cleanest route for Leon Rose to get a player he clearly liked. The guarantee deadline in the offer sheet at least put some pressure on Dallas to decide whether Cisse was worth keeping. If the Mavericks had chosen to waive him before the contract fully locked in, New York could have tried to claim or sign him.
Now, with that window closed, the most realistic path back to Cisse looks slim. Dallas could still release him before opening night or at some point during the season, but that would mean giving up on a low-cost player who could grow into a useful rotation piece. It’s hard to imagine the Mavericks doing that after already choosing to keep him.
Even if Dallas did move on from him later, the Knicks wouldn’t be guaranteed a clean shot. Cisse would have to clear waivers first, and another team with a higher priority could grab him before New York had the chance.
There is still one more route, though it’s a long way off: next July, when the Knicks would again be able to trade for him. If Cisse has a solid season and remains with Dallas, that may be the first real opening for New York to revisit the idea.
And there is a reason the Knicks might still care. Cisse is only 24, and he could fit as a long-term frontcourt depth option, especially if Karl-Anthony Towns eventually wants out or if Andre Drummond turns out to be just a one-year answer as the top backup.
For now, though, the dream looks shaky at best. The Knicks may have to look elsewhere for a third-string center with upside.
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