Moussa Cisse is staying in Dallas.
The Mavericks have matched the New York Knicks’ two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet, keeping the former Oklahoma State defensive standout in place after a rookie season that gave the team plenty to like. Cisse was a restricted free agent this offseason, and while the newly crowned NBA champs had shown interest, Dallas moved to retain him on Saturday night.
Cisse appeared in 38 games for the Mavericks last season and averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest. He also had five double-digit scoring games, including his best night in April, when he put up 17 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a win over Chicago.
The Knicks had a reason to pursue him. In January at Madison Square Garden, Cisse posted 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
For Oklahoma State fans, the name still carries weight. Cisse spent two seasons in Stillwater from 2021 to 2023 and made an immediate impact. He won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in his first season with the Cowboys and landed on the league’s All-Defense team in both years.
Across 61 games at OSU, Cisse averaged 7.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. His 62 blocks in the 2022-23 season are ninth in school history, his 116 blocks across two seasons rank 10th on the Cowboys’ career list, and his 1.9 blocks per game stand third all-time.
Cisse’s college path also included stops at Memphis and Ole Miss. After leaving Stillwater, he transferred to Ole Miss and then back to Memphis for his final season. He had also visited Stillwater ahead of Steve Lutz’s first season, but chose to return to Memphis instead.
At 6-foot-11, Cisse has long carried the kind of length and athleticism that keeps teams interested. He was a Top 10 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class when he signed with Memphis, choosing the Tigers over offers from Kansas, Kentucky and others.