The Big D Breakdown: Cisse's Guarantee Catches Up To His…

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 3

Hoops Rumors reported October 2, via Mike Curtis, that Dallas will guarantee Moussa Cisse's 2026-27 salary, a move landing right as his role already grows. Over the Mavericks' last three games with a teammate out, Cisse's minutes jumped by 13, Ryan Nembhard's by 14 and John Poulakidas's by 12.

Mavericks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Backups Earning Bigger Roles

Cisse, Nembhard and Poulakidas have each picked up real run whenever a starter has sat out over the last three games, and Dallas just turned Cisse's spot into a fixed cost by guaranteeing his 2026-27 salary. A center and two guards are answering the camp's open-rotation questions before a single preseason game tips off.

Four Names, One Target Date

Kyrie Irving, Santi Aldama, Lively and Johnson all carry the same estimated return: October 9, the day Dallas opens the preseason at home against Houston. A road rematch in Houston follows two days later, then home games against New Orleans and Atlanta before the October 21 regular-season opener, also at Houston.

The Money Behind The Minutes

Payroll sits at $197.9 million, over the $165.0 million cap and $2.5 million under the $200.4 million tax threshold, with Irving's $39.5 million the single largest figure on the books. Cooper Flagg, the only Maverick to average 20 points last season at 21.0 a game, is the one name none of this roster math touches. Dallas is still 0-0, with no games played in 2026-27.

Is Moussa Cisse's salary guaranteed for 2026-27?

Yes. Hoops Rumors reported October 2, via Mike Curtis, that Dallas will guarantee Cisse's salary for the season.

When do the Mavericks start the preseason?

Dallas opens the preseason October 9 at home against Houston, with a road rematch October 11 and games through October 16 before the October 21 regular-season opener at Houston.

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.