Knicks use second-apron maneuver to sign Moussa Cisse from Mavericks, setting up a quick match window

The Knicks have signed Mavericks restricted free agent Moussa Cisse to a two-year offer sheet, setting up a short deadline for Dallas to match. The transaction matters less for immediate on-court impact than for what it says about New York’s roster construction as it works within the NBA’s second-apron restrictions.

Under NBA free-agency rules for restricted free agents, the original team has the right of first refusal. Dallas now has two days to decide whether to match the Knicks’ offer and keep Cisse on its roster, rather than letting him become a Knicks player.

For the Knicks, the signing fills a roster need at the center position, at least for the moment. The move also highlights a larger planning challenge New York has been facing: how to complete its roster legally given the constraints associated with operating above the second apron.

A key part of the CBA framework is that teams subject to second-apron rules face limits on the ways they can add players. Knicks fans and observers have reportedly questioned what New York’s plan is for that final roster slot it is legally able to fill, and this offer sheet is one clear answer to that question.

Even if Dallas matches, the episode still provides a window into how New York is thinking about flexibility and depth. By using the restricted free-agent mechanism, the Knicks can test whether the Mavericks are willing to pay to retain a player, while keeping their own list of options aligned with the rule book.

If Dallas does not match, Cisse would join New York under the terms of the offer sheet, and the Knicks would then have a clearer path to locking in their center rotation for the offseason. In that scenario, New York’s next roster decisions would likely come down to how it continues balancing minutes, positional depth, and remaining compliance with second-apron limits.

For Dallas, the decision is straightforward in process, but complex in cost and fit. Matching preserves its rights to a center it values, but it also means taking on the financial and roster implications of the two-year agreement now put on the table by New York.

With the two-day window approaching, the next thing to watch is whether the Mavericks match promptly, or whether the Knicks’ offer ultimately results in a change to the center depth chart on both teams going forward.