Mavericks guaranteeing Moussa Cisse's contract should end roster debate

Not long ago, the Dallas Mavericks parted ways with Klay Thompson to trim their roster to 15, only to re-sign Dwight Powell. This, once again, brought their roster to 16 players, exceeding the standard 15-man roster. Yet, there was a caveat: Dallas had a player on a non-guaranteed salary, seemingly making it easier to cut the roster back to 15. But… the key word here is had. Moussa Cisse's contract became guaranteed on October 2, essentially guaranteeing his spot on the roster.

Now, Dallas is in the same predicament. Somebody's gotta go. Whether that be Powell or perhaps Caleb Martin, the Mavericks can't enter the regular season with more than 15 players on standard contracts.

Moussa Cisse's roster spot seemed vulnerable

However, you may have noticed Cisse wasn't brought up again as a potential cut candidate. Yes, his contract is now guaranteed, but it's only $2.2 million, which just so happens to be Dallas' cheapest contract overall. Moreover, Cisse is less experienced than anyone not a rookie on the Mavericks roster, having played only 38 career games.

So, why not Cisse? Why not part ways with a player who's appeared in fewer than 40 games in his career and is on the books for relatively cheap? After all, waiving and stretching Cisse would cost the Mavericks roughly $730,000 because his second year is non-guaranteed. He's the easy one to wipe your hands clean with and begin the season with the standard 15 players.

Cisse has earned his place with the Dallas Mavericks

Yet, there are a few reasons why Dallas won't and shouldn't go through with this plan. First off, Cisse is a good player. He averaged 11.5 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per 36 minutes a year ago. The athletic, 6-foot-11 big man is the ideal plug-and-play center. His low-usage skill set is easy to fit into any lineup.

Second, almost piggybacking off the first reason, Cisse has already proven his worth enough for Dallas to match the New York Knicks' offer sheet and then guarantee his salary past both deadlines, September 1 and, most recently, October 1.

Dallas obviously believes in the second-year big man, and they should. He exceeded expectations last season and is poised to be a key piece for the Mavericks in 2026-27. Dallas has two starting-caliber centers in front of Cisse — Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Yet neither is the epitome of health, with Lively continuing to rehab from a season-ending surgery.

Sure, Powell is also a center, but at this point in his career, he's more of a locker room voice than anything else. The 35-year-old hasn't cleared 1,000 minutes in three years. Thus, even though the Mavericks just re-signed him, he's still the most obvious cut candidate, but one who'd be welcomed back following his potential departure.

While Cisse seemed like, and still does seem like, a cut candidate, Dallas fully guaranteeing his contract should end the roster debate. Cisse is here to stay.

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