Mavericks Notes: Irving, Davis, Two-Ways, Flagg
The Mavericks are just 15-25 so far this season and are facing the prospect of being without star big man Anthony Davis for an extended period due to a hand injury. However, there have been no indications that the team is seriously considering the idea of shutting down point guard Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season, sources tell Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Irving has spent most of the past year recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last March. While the Mavericks still haven’t provided any concrete updates on a potential timeline for the guard’s return to action, Afseth hears the “prevailing expectation” is that Irving is on track to play at some point after next month’s All-Star break.
According to Afseth, Irving looked “sharp, explosive, and efficient” while taking part in a full on-court workout with assistant coach Phil Handy during last week’s road trip. He showed no “visible hesitation” while taking part in those drills, which simulated game-like demands, Afseth adds.
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t have a concrete update on Monday when asked about Davis, who is reportedly seeking multiple medical opinions after sustaining ligament damage in his left hand. “I think that’s sometime this week that he’ll talk to the doctors,” Kidd said, per Eddie Sekfo of Mavs.com. “But there is no timetable when he’s going to make that announcement. The team is playing. We’ve been through this before, not just with AD. We’ve been hit with a lot of injuries the last two years. Next man up mentality.”
- Pointing out that Dallas is 5-15 when Davis doesn’t play this season, Christian Clark of The Athletic suggests the big man’s latest injury might actually be a blessing in disguise for the team, which could benefit from landing another high pick in the 2026 draft. After this year, the Mavs won’t control their own first-round selection again until 2031.
- Players on two-way contracts can be active for up to 50 regular season games, and Moussa Cisse (34) and Ryan Nembhard (33) are both on track to reach their limits in February. According to Kidd, Dallas is monitoring those figures very closely. “We’re good at that because we went through that last year,” Kidd said. “We all have dates for those guys if they play all the way out when they expire. We’ll be able to manage those from our experiences with last year’s two-ways.” The Mavs could eliminate that 50-game restriction by promoting Cisse and/or Nembhard to the 15-man roster, but they don’t currently have an open spot available and have limited cap flexibility below their second-apron hard cap.
- The last rookie to be named to the NBA’s All-Star Game was Blake Griffin in 2011. Could Cooper Flagg achieve the feat this year? Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News explores that subject, noting that Flagg is at least a lock to play in the Rising Stars event. “We hope that he does make the ‘big game’ and he gets voted in,” Kidd said. “He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win. He’s been very successful in late game. Hopefully he’s in the ‘big game,’ but he will participate in the ‘little game.'”
Injury Notes: Warriors, Antetokounmpo, Suggs, Flagg, Lively
Jonathan Kuminga is expected to be available on Monday after missing the Warriors‘ win over the Suns on Saturdaydue to an illness, reports The Athletic’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link).
Friedell notes that Kuminga was at Golden State’s film session on Sunday. The 23-year-old forward has only played in one of the Warriors’ previous five games, as he has been in and out of coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation even when he’s active.
Friedell adds that Al Horford and Seth Curry are still out with back and glute injuries, respectively.
Horford has only played 13 games this season, his first with Golden State, and has suited up for two of the team’s last 13 contests. He’s averaging career lows in points and rebounds.
Curry has played just two games since joining the Warriors on December 1. He scored 14 points in just under 18 minutes in his season debut, but was held scoreless in his second outing.
We have more injury news from around the league:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out with the calf strain that has kept him sidelined since early December, but he participated in the Bucks‘ shootaround before Sunday’s contest against the Timberwolves, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter video link). Head coach Doc Rivers previously stated that the team would be cautious with their star forward’s recovery process, but this marked a step in the right direction for the two-time MVP.
- Jalen Suggs is listed as questionable for the Magic‘s game against the Warriors on Monday due to a left hip contusion, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Suggs has missed the team’s last two games due to the injury. Beede adds that Tristan Da Silva is questionable with a shoulder contusion.
- Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg is questionable for Monday’s game against the Pelicans with a back contusion, writes Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The No. 1 overall pick has been on a hot streak of late, averaging 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks over his last four games. Curtis adds that Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), Max Christie (illness), and two-way players Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly are all questionable for the game as well.
- Dereck Lively II underwent successful surgery on his right foot, the Mavericks announced via their team Twitter account. It was reported on December 10 that Lively would undergo season-ending surgery to address ongoing discomfort in the foot. The operation was performed in London.
Stein: Mavs Plan To Eventually Promote Ryan Nembhard
Within an interesting story about how Ryan Nembhard ended up on a two-way contract with the Mavericks after going undrafted in June, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) reports that Dallas has “already committed” to promoting the rookie to a standard deal as soon as the team is able to do so.
As we outlined on Thursday, Nembhard has been making a strong case to have his two-way deal converted to a standard contract since he took over as the Mavericks’ starting point guard five games ago. However, with only about $1.29MM in breathing room below their second-apron hard cap, the Mavs are ineligible to add a prorated minimum-salary contract to their roster until January 6.
Promoting Nembhard as soon as they can next month would put the Mavericks in a difficult financial position, as they would be just $12K away from their hard cap. Dallas was in a similar situation last season and was unable to add reinforcements when the roster was decimated by injuries during the second half.
As Stein writes, it’s possible that a minimum-salary deal wouldn’t be enough to entice Nembhard either, especially if he keeps up his recent play. So the Mavericks might have to offer more than the minimum during the season if they want to prevent him from reaching restricted free agency in 2026.
Nembhard can still be active for 33 more games as part of his two-way contract, and there isn’t necessarily a rush for the Mavs to convert him, even if they intend to do so down the line.
According to Stein, while the former Gonzaga standout worked out for 29 of the NBA’s 30 teams prior to the draft, the Mavericks were the only club to consistently express a desire to acquire him.
Sources tell Stein that Matt Riccardi, who was then an assistant general manager and has since been elevated to co-interim GM, repeatedly told Nembhard’s agents the team hoped to trade for a second-round pick to draft the 22-year-old, but if it was unable to do so and no other team selected him, the Mavericks would “definitely” offer him a two-way contact.
On the day of the second round, the Mavs’ front office was unable to land a second-rounder. Teams selecting in the 50s expressed some interest drafting Nembhard, Stein continues, but his agents rejected those overtures because going undrafted would make him an unrestricted free agent and thus able to sign the two-way deal with Dallas.
“I don’t think about it much anymore,” Nembhard told Stein about not being selected. “My focus is on today because that’s all that matters. But deep down I think I have a natural fire to compete. And it’s hotter than maybe it would have been otherwise because no one believed in me.”
Nembhard isn’t the only rookie on a two-way deal with Dallas who has made a good impression this season. Prior to Friday’s game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked head coach Jason Kidd about big man Moussa Cisse, who has played an unexpected role off the bench amid several frontcourt injuries (Twitter link).
“Our two-ways have done great…Moussa and the energy that he’s brought, he’s helped win some games for us early,” Kidd said. “Our two-ways have had a big impact and at some point here in January, they could run out of games. That’s just the unfortunate thing, but we’ve needed them because of injuries and they’ve responded with the opportunities they’ve been given.”
Mavericks Notes: AD, Luka, Flagg, Nembhard, Cisse
Mavericks big man Anthony Davis slightly exceeded the minutes restriction he had Friday in his first game back following a 14-game absence, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The star forward/center, who was facing the Lakers for the first time since the shocking February trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Davis to Dallas, faced immediate double-teams, ultimately finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes.
“I thought he was good for his first game back,” head coach Jason Kidd said (story via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). “We’ll try to get the rhythm and try to get the flow of just being with those guys on the floor. I thought he was good on both ends. As we go forward and continue, as we talked about, to stacking good minutes, he did that.”
The Mavericks wound up losing by 10 points to fall to 5-15, the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Davis is optimistic the team still has time to turn its season around, Afseth adds.
“We’re still playing basketball, we’re trying to compete,” Davis said. “We are competing, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing together. I remember when Brooklyn started off 5-20 and ended up at the four seed. I’m not saying we’re comparing ourselves to that or that we’re going to start off 5-20, but we just have to keep competing. There were just a couple of plays here and there that hurt us, but we can’t complain, we keep fighting. I feel like we’re right there.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- It’s been almost 10 months since Doncic was traded, but he says matchups against his former team will always be meaningful, Afseth writes in another story for Dallas Hoops Journal. “I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s important, it’s fun, and it’s always special. Like I say, it’ll always be special for me.”
- After the game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked Doncic for his thoughts on Cooper Flagg (Twitter video link). “I think he’s a good player,” Doncic said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with (being) the first pick so he has a lot on his shoulders, but I think he will become a great player.” The 18-year-old rookie had 13 points, a career-high 11 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
- Rookie Ryan Nembhard, who is on a two-way contract, received his first career start on Friday, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). The former Gonzaga point guard had a solid outing, recording 17 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and four assists in 23 minutes. “They weren’t really guarding me,” Nembhard said, per Afseth. “They was trying to play off me and stand those gaps for AD and double him and make it tough on him. So a lot of open shots presented themselves and I’m just trying to be aggressive, get my teammates involved, and take advantage of the opportunity.”
- In a feature story for Ratings, Afseth details how undrafted rookie Moussa Cisse has become a valuable contributor for the Mavs. Like Nembhard, the Guinean center is on a two-way deal with Dallas. “He’s a bit undersized at the five, but he’s explosive and plays extremely hard,” a scout said. “He’s a bit further along than I expected, but there’s still plenty of work there. You can tell he’s still getting used to guarding NBA actions and talent — his angles can use some work. But he’s really dynamic rotating from the weak side and he’s going to crash the boards hard on both ends. I like his potential.”
Mavs Notes: AD, Kyrie, Flagg, Cisse, Williams, Thompson
ESPN insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, Zach Kram and Jeremy Woo take a look at some important decisions the Mavericks will face in the coming months, including whether they should trade Anthony Davis — and what they might be able to get for him.
“While you can point to Davis as a top-20 player in Los Angeles, it is a $175 million gamble and perhaps more, if you trade for him,” a Western Conference executive told Marks. “I would want to see a long stretch of games of Davis healthy before there could ever be a discussion.
“The extension and paying a player in their mid-30s an average of $69 million and the last nine months in Dallas is what scares me. In this current CBA, you cannot afford to have a player earning 35% of the salary cap on the sidelines more than on the court.”
As Marks writes, while rival teams would undoubtedly take on risk if they pursued Davis, given his contract situation (he’s in the first season of a three-year, $175MM deal and will be eligible for a massive new extension in the offseason) and lengthy injury history (he’s currently sidelined with a calf strain), the star big man would still receive interest if he’s put on the market.
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Appearing on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape and ESPN provided an injury update on star guard Kyrie Irving. “Kyrie’s looking good, he’s ahead of schedule. He’s working out with the purpose of playing this season,” Spears said. “… I think, optimistic-wise, probably around late January, All-Star break (for a potential return). Someone close to (Irving) told me if it was the playoffs he could play right now. … But the problem is, who’s running the show? What’s their record going to be? Will Anthony Davis be back? I think by the time he’s able to potentially come back in late January, there’s going to be a collective decision — from him, from the team, from everybody that’s close to him — on whether it’s worth it for (Irving) to come back. But I hear he wants to be back.”
- Top pick Cooper Flagg was held to just two points in the first half on Sunday against Portland and was “visibly irritated” by the way the game was going for him, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The 18-year-old rookie credited Daniel Gafford for changing his mindset — Flagg scored 19 points in the second half and helped lead the Mavs to their fourth victory. “He was frustrated at halftime,” Gafford said. “I told him to slow down — it’ll come to him. The game finds you.”
- With six players (Twitter link via Afseth) — including big men Davis, Gafford (right ankle injury management) and Dereck Lively II (right knee injury management) out on Monday for the second game of a back-to-back, center Moussa Cisse received his first career start, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The 6’10” rookie, who is on a two-way contract, has been a bright spot for Dallas amid a disappointing start to the season, averaging 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 10.8 minutes per game through 10 appearances.
- In a pair of stories for DallasHoopsJournal.com, Afseth takes a look at how Brandon Williams‘ speed has created advantages for the Mavericks’ offense and how the attention Klay Thompson attracted on Sunday (he tied a season-high with 19 points) led to easy scoring opportunities for teammates. “Brandon Williams has been incredible,” Flagg said. “High energy, so quick, uses his speed to get downhill and find guys. Our chemistry in the two-man game late in games has been really good.”
Mavs Rumors: Harrison, Davis, Cuban, Kidd, Flagg, Cisse
Having lost trust in general manager Nico Harrison, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont decided overnight on Monday that there was no reason to put off a front office change that seemed inevitable, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
[RELATED: Mavericks Dismiss GM Nico Harrison]
In making the decision to fire Harrison on Tuesday, Dumont may appease some fans in Dallas, who have frequently chanted “fire Nico” at home games since last season’s Luka Doncic trade. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), several Mavericks players actually preferred to play away from home this fall, since there was far less vitriol related to Harrison on the road. MacMahon makes a similar point, noting that there has been no home court advantage to speak of for the Mavs so far this season.
“These people don’t want us to win,” one player griped, according to a source who spoke to ESPN.
While Harrison’s exit may improve the vibes in Dallas to some extent, there’s still no quick fix for the 3-8 club, which has a significant hole at the point guard spot until Kyrie Irving is able to return from his torn ACL.
“There’s no point guard. You don’t have a floor leader,” an Eastern Conference scout told MacMahon. “That’s the first problem. Then you’re trying to make a guy who isn’t a point guard (Cooper Flagg) a point guard. The coach doesn’t trust the guy you signed this summer (D’Angelo Russell). That’s obvious. They don’t trust him enough to make him the floor leader, and that’s in line with the consensus around the league. They don’t have shooting, and they don’t have creation. Those are things you need to be a good offensive team.”
Russell, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Brandon Williams on Monday, has come off the bench in eight of 11 games so far and is posting career-worst shooting percentages. The Mavericks’ cap situation meant they had limited tools at their disposal this past offseason to upgrade their roster — they used their full taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Russell. Still, there presumably would’ve been more options available to Dallas on the trade market if the team had been willing to move some of its frontcourt depth to address the backcourt.
“Remarkable that Nico did not acquire a good guard this summer so they could win some games,” an Eastern Conference executive said to ESPN. “That was such low-hanging fruit.”
We have more on the Mavs:
- One big question in Dallas now will be whether the team looks to move star big man Anthony Davis. John Hollinger of The Athletic argues that a Davis trade is the best path forward for the club and believes the 32-year-old would still command a haul of draft picks and/or young players, despite his injury history. According to MacMahon, several sources around the NBA agree with Hollinger and believe that the Mavs must at least gauge Davis’ trade value in the coming months. “You have Flagg, but you’re old and you don’t own your picks,” a Western Conference decision-maker told ESPN. “[They have to] be comfortable with taking two steps back if that’s the necessary path. Be patient. They need to lose this year, but I don’t see Dumont being comfortable with taking a step back. It’s not natural as a new owner.”
- Former Mavericks majority owner – and current minority shareholder – Mark Cuban was involved in a meeting on Monday with Dumont and team president Rick Welts before Harrison was let go, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). MacMahon, meanwhile, hears that Cuban and Dumont have talked more frequently in recent months and that Cuban is the one in favor of targeting former Mavs advisor Dennis Lindsey to replace Harrison. It remains to be seen how open Dumont will be to Cuban’s suggestions, MacMahon adds.
- According to Stein, Dumont is expected to “lean heavily” on head coach Jason Kidd during this transition period. Kidd has signed contract extensions in each of the past two offseasons and is clearly in no danger of following Harrison out the door.
- Despite the 3-8 start, there have been some bright spots in Dallas as of late. As MacMahon writes for ESPN, Flagg had his best all-around game on Monday, with 26 points and nine rebounds, and tied LeBron James as the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in a game. Additionally, two-way rookie big man Moussa Cisse seems to be finding his footing at the NBA level, having held his own in a rotation role with Davis sidelined, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Cisse has averaged 7.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game in his past three outings — the Mavs outscored opponents by 18 points in his 53 minutes on the court during that stretch.
Mavs Notes: Harrison, AD, Gafford, Dirk, Cuban, Cisse, More
At 2-7, the Mavericks are in last place in the Western Conference, having lost at home to the 1-8 Wizards and the 2-6 Pelicans, who were on the second end of a back-to-back (and without Zion Williamson). They nearly suffered another home defeat to the 1-7 Pacers.
Dallas currently has the worst offensive rating in the NBA by a significant margin.
The disastrous start has people around the league questioning whether head of basketball operations Nico Harrison could be fired sooner rather than later, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the Howdy Partners podcast with Michael C. Wright (YouTube link).
“A legitimate question right now is: Is Nico Harrison’s job in serious jeopardy? That is an absolutely legitimate question,” MacMahon said (hat tip to RealGM). “It’s the question obviously Mavericks fans have been hoping would be answered with an affirmative since early February.
“I don’t have a firm answer for you right now — that’s as much as I can tell you. But it is absolutely a legitimate question. When you talk to people about the Mavericks around the league, it is the first question that people are asking.
“(Harrison) stuck his neck out by making the most unpopular trade in NBA history.”
As MacMahon pointed out, Harrison has come under heavy scrutiny since he shockingly decided to trade franchise player Luka Doncic to the Lakers for a package headlined by Anthony Davis.
With an ill-fitting, injury-plagued roster and Doncic thriving in Los Angeles, Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News argues it’s time for governor Patrick Dumont to listen to the fans who have been chanting for Harrison’s dismissal ever since the deal was completed.
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Star big man Davis has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s matchup against Washington after missing the past four contests with a left calf strain, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “He seems in good spirits, and I think he’s doing fine health-wise,” head coach Jason Kidd said Friday. “So we’ll see. But I don’t know about (Saturday).” MacMahon hears Davis has been targeting tonight’s contest for his return to action (Twitter link). Center Daniel Gafford is also questionable after aggravating his right ankle sprain in Friday’s loss in Memphis.
- Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, now an analyst for Amazon Prime, didn’t mince words about the team’s poor start on Friday, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “I feel bad for my Mavs fans,” Nowitzki said. “This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there’s a hole at the point guard and play-making position…at shot creating, at shot making. They can’t shoot, they can’t make plays…nobody can make shots. It’s been tough to watch.”
- Longtime majority stakeholder and current minority owner Mark Cuban also weighed in on the team’s struggles during a radio appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show, according to Townsend. “You know, I’m not thrilled with the composition of the team,” Cuban said. “I think we’re imbalanced. We don’t have enough depth at point guard. We don’t have somebody who’s a creator that gets other people shots or enough of that. And so I didn’t think we were going to crush it and start off 8-0, but I didn’t expect 2-6 (as of Friday).”
- Rookie center Moussa Cisse, who is on a two-way contract, provided a spark off the bench on Friday amid what was an otherwise dispiriting loss at Memphis, Afseth writes for Dallas Hoops Journal. The 23-year-old big man finished with career highs of 10 points (on 4-of-5 shooting) and eight rebounds in 14 minutes — the team was plus-18 during his time on the court in the 14-point loss. “He plays hard — that’s how he plays,” Kidd said. “He’s out there to prove that he belongs. He’s hungry, and that’s what stands out when you watch him play. He plays one way — he plays hard and he plays fast.”
- Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal and Townsend of The Dallas Morning News pass along several more quotes from Friday’s loss to the Grizzlies, who entered the night on a four-game losing streak (Memphis is now 4-6).
Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Williams, Martin, Exum, Cisse
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd provided an encouraging injury update on Daniel Gafford on Saturday, writes Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
Gafford has been recovering from a sprained ankle he sustained on the first day of training camp, and Kidd said there’s a chance the 27-year-old center could be ready for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. San Antonio after going through the non-contact portions of Saturday’s practice.
“We’ll see,” Kidd said. “No contact today, but he did some things. I wouldn’t rule it out, but we’ll take it day by day.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- According to Afseth, guard Brandon Williams and wing Caleb Martin were full participants in yesterday’s practice. “Yeah, they’re trending in the right direction,” Kidd said when asked if Williams and Martin will be active against the Spurs. “If they keep doing what they’re doing Monday and Tuesday, they’ll have a good chance to play.” Williams has battled a hamstring strain for the past few weeks, but played three minutes in Dallas’ preseason finale vs. the Lakers, while Martin has been dealing with an undisclosed injury which prevented him in playing in any preseason games.
- Gafford, Williams and Martin appear to be making solid progress in their respective recoveries, but Dante Exum continues to be hampered by right knee soreness and didn’t practice on Saturday, per Afseth. Kidd previously said Exum would likely be out for a while, but didn’t provide any sort of return timeline.
- Guinean center Moussa Cisse, who went undrafted in June and had been on an Exhibit 10 deal, was promoted to a two-way contract yesterday after impressing the Mavs over the past handful of weeks. “He’s earned it,” Kidd said, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s had a heck of a preseason/training camp. Things that he’s done for us in practice and then also in the games has been at a very high level. We’re really excited to have him on board.” As Townsend writes, the shot-blocking big man was thrilled when he heard the news. “It feels great, after all the hours you’re putting in in the gym, coming in and working,” Cisse said. “Having opportunities like those, I’m really grateful. This is like a dream come true.”
Mavs Convert Moussa Cisse To Two-Way Deal
11:50 am: The Mavericks have officially converted Cisse to a two-way contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer if he finishes the season on that deal.
10:27 am: The Mavericks are converting Moussa Cisse‘s Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
Cisse was signed in early July after going undrafted and obviously made a strong enough impression to earn a promotion.
The 6’11” Cisse will add a shot-blocking presence for the Mavericks, though he’ll likely spend a lot of time in the G League this season. The big man appeared in three preseason games and rejected seven shot attempts in 34 minutes.
Cisse started and ended his college career at Memphis, sandwiching stints with Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. The Guinean center blocked 1.7 shots per game in 150 career college contests despite averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game.
The addition of Cisse will round out the team’s two-way slots. Guards Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly possess the other two-way deals.
Mavericks Sign Matthew Cleveland, Moussa Cisse
The Mavericks have officially signed guard/forward Matthew Cleveland and center Moussa Cisse, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). Both players went undrafted in June.
While the terms of their deals weren’t disclosed, Cleveland and Cisse almost certainly signed Exhibit 10 contracts. In fact, Cisse’s Exhibit 10 agreement was reported last month, shortly after the draft ended.
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals that entitle players to bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they’re waived before the regular season and spend at least 60 days with their team’s G league affiliate. They can also be converted to two-way deals before the regular season begins, and Cisse, at least, is expected to have the opportunity to compete for a two-way spot in Dallas.
Cleveland played his last two college seasons at Miami after spending his first two years at Florida State. In 2024/25, he averaged 17.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game with a .511/.382/.776 shooting line in 29 outings for the Hurricanes.
Cisse, meanwhile, started and ended his college career at Memphis, sandwiching stints with Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. The Guinean big man blocked 1.7 shots per game in 150 career college contests despite averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game.