Mavericks face an urgent roster problem as trade deadline nears

Moussa Cisse is playing himself into a standard contract for the Dallas Mavericks, and they must prioritize creating a roster spot for him once the February 5 trade deadline passes — or risk losing him in the offseason. The deadline allows teams to open up roster spots with various trades, and now the Mavs have to do this with two players if they're serious about keeping Cisse around.

Dallas has already made it known that they plan to convert Ryan Nembhard's two-way deal to a standard contract later this season, but they also need to do the same with Cisse. He has been one of the Mavericks' most impactful bench players lately, and his recent performances can't go overlooked.

Over the last three games, Cisse is averaging 11.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 81.3 percent from the field. The Mavericks have won each of these games as well, and the 23-year-old rookie is looking like someone who could stick around in Dallas long-term if he can keep it up.

Moussa Cisse is outperforming his two-way contract

His best performance of the three was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when he dominated the New York Knicks. In a 114-97 win over New York, Cisse finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while shooting 5-6 from the field in just under 20 minutes.

He has become known for being a stat-sheet stuffer in the best way possible despite typically playing limited minutes, and no other bench player outside of Victor Wembanyama has recorded the stat line that Cisse produced against the Knicks. The special performances are beginning to roll in more frequently, and the Mavs could walk away from the 2025-26 season with three rookies who are key members of their core moving forward.

Cisse has been the backup center to Dwight Powell recently, and while Powell is the king of hustle and heart, he is beginning to prove that Jason Kidd needs to consider inserting him ahead of Powell in the rotation for the back half of the season. With where Dallas is in the standings, Cisse's development should be one of their top priorities. He continues to get better every time he steps onto the floor, and his feel for the game is starting to come along at the right time.

Cisse isn't an elite passer out of the short roll like Dereck Lively II yet, but his growth in that area is undeniable. He is beginning to get a better feeling of when to attack and when to pass the ball to an open teammate in the corner, and he is looking much less raw than he did at the beginning of the season.

His motor and energy are what have caught the most eyes thus far, as he always runs the floor as hard as he can and crashes the glass on both ends of the floor relentlessly. He is also a decent finisher in the pick and roll, and his screen setting and ability to catch lobs in transition are beginning to stand out as well.

While the Cooper Flagg era isn't off to as hot of a start as fans expected, Mavs fans should be excited about the potential that the young core has flashed. Cisse has the chance to be a featured piece off the Mavericks' bench for years to come if he gets the chance, and Dallas' front office should definitely find a way to give him a standard contract before the season is over.