The New York Knicks’ pursuit of Moussa Cisse appeared finished when the Dallas Mavericks matched their offer sheet in July. Dwight Powell’s return to Dallas has cracked open a narrow path for an unlikely reunion.
The Mavericks formally re-signed Powell on Friday, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. More importantly for New York, Stein reported that Dallas has not ruled out creating a roster spot for the veteran center despite already carrying the maximum 15 players on standard contracts.
Someone must go if the Mavericks decide to keep Powell for opening night. That gives the Knicks at least a puncher’s chance of finally landing Cisse, the athletic 6-foot-11 center they targeted earlier this summer.
It remains a long shot, not an indication that Dallas has decided to move on from Cisse. But Powell’s arrival creates precisely the type of roster pressure New York needed for the possibility to resurface.
Mavericks Face Crowded Center Rotation
Dallas retained Cisse by matching the two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet he signed with the Knicks. The decision prevented Cisse from being traded to New York for one year, closing the most straightforward route to Madison Square Garden.
A roster cut would present a different scenario.
The Mavericks already have Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II ahead of Cisse in their center rotation. Powell, who has spent nearly his entire career in Dallas, now gives the organization another trusted option at the position. Santi Aldama and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. provide additional frontcourt depth.
Cisse’s contract and upside should make him difficult to discard. Yet Dallas matched the Knicks’ offer before later adding another center while operating without an open roster spot. At a minimum, the Mavericks have created a genuine training camp competition.
For the Knicks, monitoring that contest should be an easy decision.
Moussa Cisse Still Fits Knicks’ Need
Cisse averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in only 13.9 minutes per game as a rookie. His production translates to 14.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes, numbers that illustrate why New York pursued him after Mitchell Robinson left for the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks do not need another high-usage scorer behind Karl-Anthony Towns. They need vertical athleticism, rebounding and rim protection — the areas in which Cisse can immediately contribute.
New York entered training camp with veterans Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman competing for frontcourt work. Its proximity to the second apron, however, leaves little room for error. Cisse is younger, inexpensive and already familiar to a front office that made a deliberate attempt to sign him.
None of this makes the Knicks favorites. Dallas can create Powell’s roster spot through a trade involving another player, and Cisse’s age and defensive potential give the Mavericks compelling reasons to keep him.
Still, New York needed something to change before Cisse could become even theoretically attainable. Powell’s return has supplied that change and transformed a closed case into a roster battle worth watching.
Knicks Get New Opening to Land Previous Center Target After Mavericks Move