The New York Knicks have continued evaluating how to better contend for next year. The front office has done a phenomenal job of working around the edges of a constraint put upon them by the owner. James Dolan went on the radio in June and declared that the team was not going to spend above the second apron, which limits how much money they would have to spend in free agency.
Ultimately, they were able to bring back key contributors like Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson for reasonable prices. They secured Mohamed Diawara on a deal that will allow him to continue grow into a more reliable rotation player moving forward. But, they did lose out on Mitchell Robinson who jumped ship to the rival Boston Celtics. That move created a massive hole at a spot that helped the New York Knicks assert dominance on a nightly basis at center.
New York quickly pivoted by bringing in Andre Drummond but it seems clear that something is still lacking. On Saturday the team came to an agreement with restricted free agent Moussa Cissé that would pay him $2.5 million for the 2026-27 season. Ultimately, the Dallas Mavericks decided to match the deal so Cissé will be playing in Texas next season. The choice of New York to offer up the deal was revealing for a few reasons, though.
Why Did They Do It
The Knicks are strategic in how they go about their business. They have an intentionality and a philosophy behind transactions. In this case I think they saw the writing on the wall.
The Dallas Mavericks had a roster crunch. They had 15 players under guaranteed contracts for the 2026-27 season (with Cissé that is now 16) and four of them are likely to play a good chunk of their minutes at center. Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. are all players that have significant value placed upon them by the team. Lively and Johnson were both lottery picks over the past few years. Gafford and Aldama were both acquired using first round picks. Essentially, the position seemed squeezed for the upcoming season, even if injuries occurred.
It was a smart bet to assume that, even if Dallas had interest in retaining Cissé they may just have to bow out because of asset allocation. They are lacking in guards and could have been comfortable moving forward with the players on the roster. The latest news indicates that this isn’t the case. Both Klay Thompson and Daniel Gafford seem to be available at the right price, which is something the organization will have to figure out before opening night.
The Knicks clearly value adding an additional center to round out the depth on the team. Throughout the tenure of this front office they have traditionally looked to utilize the third big as a breeding ground for a developmental player. They invested a second round pick in Jericho Sims and allowed him to grow into a functional part of the rotation. Ariel Hukporti fought through his struggles during this past season and had some real moments during the NBA Finals. So much so that the Philadelphia 76ers snagged him from the Knicks in free agency.
Cissé would have fit the bill of a young player that would get minutes, but not be overloaded with too much of a burden that would have overextended his talent.
What Does This Show
The Knicks look like they may have a type. They have been able to separate themselves from other teams in that they always remain elite at being able to rebound the ball. Robinson is the king of offensive rebounding and Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best defensive rebounders in the league, which led to them being ranked top-10 in both statistics last season.
Cissé had some inconsistencies on offense last season, but he remained elite on the boards all year. He is one of only two players last season to have at least a 16 percent offensive rebounding percentage along with a 20 percent defensive rebounding percentage. The other player? Mitchell Robinson.
Secondly, the team is clearly not entirely pleased at what they have at center at the moment. Yes, Andre Drummond has consistently been able to rip down rebounds for years but it is on defense that he has struggled. A third center that could be more consistent on defense would give Mike Brown more optionality to sit Drummond if he isn’t pulling his weight on defense. The depth this past season offered Brown the chance to play players that were executing what the coaching staff was looking for, especially with reserved players. It is why Jordan Clarkson turned into a productive player for the team and it may be necessary to do the same for Drummond.
Cissé may not have been perfect, but he seemed to check a lot of the boxes of what the Knicks are looking for in a third center. Regardless, the hole still remains on the roster and it’ll be interesting to see if the front office intends to solve that problem before the start of the regular season or not.