The New York Knicks are the only NBA team this decade to add a superstar in free agency. Seriously!
The annual event used to be a thrill for fans. There was real hype for the start of free agency, every season, because of the chance that it would take just minutes for several superstars to find themselves new teams.
So far this decade, though, Jalen Brunson is the only player capable of leading his team to a title that has changed teams in the offseason. Ever since Anthony Davis' trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers, seemingly every superstar has followed suit — signing the biggest extensions they can with the teams that drafted them before eventually demanding out.
Moussa Cissé is no star player, but the Dallas Mavericks choosing to match the Knicks' offer sheet for their backup center shows they may have finally learned a crucial lesson. New York's front office is great. If they're trying to steal one of your players away, it's probably a sign that you should hold onto them tight.
Leon Rose has earned Danny Ainge's trade reputation for himself
The Mavericks already have Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II under contract. They used the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Morez Johnson Jr., who can split time at both frontcourt positions like P.J. Washington — also still in Dallas. Their refusal to let Cissé walk was clearly not motivated by need.
They might have simply learned a key lesson with regard to their free agents: stop letting the Knicks sign them.
New York put themselves in this situation, starting off free agency by losing Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics as a result of their refusal to surpass the salary cap's second apron.
Leon Rose's front office did move relatively swiftly to replace him with Andre Drummond, but are still without a replacement for Ariel Hukporti — the 2024 draft pick that served as their third-string big man. That's seemingly where the need for Cissé arose.
Rose's willingness to tie up the team's last roster spot for up to 48 hours underscores just how much of a priority a third center is for New York; they clearly weren't concerned about adding someone like DeMar DeRozan (or even LeBron James) with that room in the meantime. But Dallas doesn't have to be in the business of caring.
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