Former Memphis center Moussa Cisse will remain after Mavericks match offer sheet
Former Memphis basketball center Moussa Cisse isn’t going anywhere after all.
Cisse signed an offer sheet with the New York Knicks on July 18, but he was a restricted free agent. That meant the Dallas Mavericks — who Cisse played for last season — had the opportunity to match the contract and retain him. They reportedly did exactly that, so Cisse will stay in Dallas on a two-year, $4.7 million deal. The second year is non-guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Cisse has plenty of ties to Memphis. He played his final two seasons of high school basketball at Lausanne, then chose the Tigers to start his collegiate career. He later played for Oklahoma State and Ole Miss before transferring back to Memphis for his final season of eligibility.
He played a significant role on that team, initially as a starter and then as a highly-productive sixth man behind Dain Dainja. The Tigers earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament at the end of that season before falling in the first round to Colorado State.
Cisse went undrafted after that, but he signed a two-way deal with the Mavericks ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season. He averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 38 NBA appearances last season while also seeing time in the G League.
Because Cisse was a free agent, he did not play for the Mavericks in summer league. But he was at some of Dallas’ games alongside his Mavericks teammates, and he’s now set to suit up for the Mavericks again next season.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Former Memphis center Moussa Cisse will remain after Mavericks match offer sheet
