The New York Knicks agreed to a two-year offer sheet with Dallas Mavericks restricted free agent center Moussa Cissé on Saturday, setting them up with a potential replacement for Ariel Hukporti as their third-string center. Cissé was born in Guinea, but went to Christ the King High School in Queens, New York — just like NBA Finals hometown hero Jose Alvarado.
Dallas had 48 hours to match the offer, or not, but used less than 24 of them to decide they'd do what it took to keep Cissé around. They burst the orange and blue bubble containing New York's next target at center. Despite the fact that the Knicks' go at Cissé was unsuccessful, though, it might reveal an unfortunate truth about the center market right now.
In recent years, NBA teams have increasingly shied away from using their ability to sign restricted free agents to an offer sheet. The knowledge that the player's original team will likely match the offer disincentivizes teams from locking up part of their available cap space for a wild goose chase. While it was just for the minimum, New York only has one roster spot left. Their willingness to put that spot on hold for up to two days, just to sign a third-string center, isn't a great sign for the market overall.
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The Knicks aren't worried about filling multiple roster spots, making it sensible to tie one up in an effort to add Cissé — and, at worst, force the Mavericks to get on with his restricted free agency. It does, however, indicate New York isn't expecting any worthwhile targets to shake loose any time soon.
Their front office did pick up Andre Drummond on a one-year, veteran's minimum contract earlier in the offseason. The Mount Vernon, NY native brings a clear skill to the table — elite rebounding ability — at the cost of clear defensive shortcomings.
New York has the personnel, both defensively and with regard to their offensive decision-makers, to help optimize Drummond's talent. Mike Brown has prevailed in the face of much taller challenges. However, the Knicks also have a bevy of second-round picks from their latest draft night boogaloo — and the ability to address the center position (or any other) ahead of the 2027 NBA trade deadline.
Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic project as having three rotation-capable centers, or more, that could lead to the kind of positional surplus their front offices decide to capitalize on via trade. The best deals help both sides out, and the Knicks — even if they sign a third center moments after this article is published — might want to leave the door open for a midseason upgrade.
Their picks give them that flexibility, as frustrating as it can be to spend the first round of each year's NBA Draft wondering which team will wind up trading for the Knicks' pick.
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