The Knicks have put together a center move that comes with built-in protection. New York signed restricted free agent Moussa Cissé to a two-year offer sheet, according to Shams Charania, and the structure tells you plenty about how the team is thinking.
The deal is half-guaranteed in Year 1, and the 2027-28 season is non-guaranteed. Dallas now has 48 hours to decide whether to match, so this is not done yet. But the Knicks clearly wanted a shot at adding another big without locking themselves into a contract that could become a problem.
That kind of setup fits the moment for New York. Cissé gets a real path to the roster, while the Knicks keep an escape hatch if the fit never materializes.
Last season, Cissé appeared in 38 games for Dallas, starting once and playing 530 minutes. He’s listed at 6-foot-11 and brings the kind of physical profile teams keep betting on: long, active near the rim, and still working to turn those tools into steady NBA production.
For New York, the appeal is obvious. Cissé doesn’t need to arrive as a finished product.
He can compete, defend, run the floor, and try to carve out more minutes. If it works, the Knicks have added length behind their frontcourt.
If it doesn’t, the contract doesn’t tie their hands for years.
Dallas, though, has a real call to make. The Mavericks know exactly what Cissé looks like physically and what he can do defensively.
They also know he was only a limited piece of their rotation. Matching the offer would keep a young center in place, but it would also mean using a roster spot on a player who still has to prove he can stay on the floor.
The Knicks are betting the upside is worth the wait. If Dallas declines, New York gets a useful flier without paying premium money for a backup. If Dallas matches, the Knicks can keep moving without getting stuck.
Either way, the message is the same: the Knicks found a center they like, and they didn’t overdo it.
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