The Dallas Mavericks are entering a new era spearheaded by president Masai Ujiri, new general manager Mike Schmitz, and new head coach Dusty May. The team has picked a direction and is building around future star Cooper Flagg.
Their offseason moves kept this in mind as they only added younger players who can hopefully be a part of this team for many years.
How did these moves impact the players already on the roster? Who should be considered a winner and a loser of the Mavs' fascinating offseason?
Winner: Max Christie
Since coming in from the Luka Doncic trade, Max Christie was traded to Dallas at his peak.
The 23-year-old shooting guard was an underrated success story for Dallas last season. He was a reliable and consistent option for the Mavs, playing in 77 games, starting in 68, and hitting 2.3 threes per game on 40.4 percent shooting from downtown.
He was rewarded for this performance as he looks like the clear-cut starter at shooting guard for next season. With the Morez Johnson Jr. draft pick, the Mavs didn't add another guard or really anyone in front of him, and Christie should get as many minutes as he can handle.
This is a great sign for Christie, as he is eligible for an extension this summer. He will either get a lucrative, multi-year extension or prove his worth as a starter this season and get a larger deal next summer. Regardless, the stars have aligned for Christie to be in Dallas long-term.
Loser: Moussa Cisse
The 23-year-old center emerged out of nowhere last season to establish himself as a quality backup. Not many around the league noticed Cisse once they stopped paying attention to the Mavs as their season went off the rails. For Mavs fans, however, he was one of the few bright spots from a forgettable 2025-26 season outside of Flagg.
Cisse is an excellent offensive rebounder and a shot blocker. For a lot of teams in the league, he could be a decent depth option. Unfortunately for him, the Mavs aren't one of those teams.
Dallas didn't do anything to thin out their crowded center rotation. In fact, they added Santi Aldama and potentially Johnson Jr. to it. If Dereck Lively II also returns, which still may be a long shot from now, this is an extremely deep group, which leaves no room for Cisse.
Plus, the Mavs don't have a roster spot for Cisse right now. They have 15 players on the roster and three two-way contracts to worry about. The Guinean big man is now a two-way restricted free agent, and it looks like he may have to head elsewhere to continue his NBA career.
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