Mavericks miss out on perfect guard signing they easily could've afforded

Dallas Mavericks fans were excited this morning when it was reported that Dallas registered interest in signing Anfernee Simons. But these rumors were quickly dispelled after Simons signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $12.3 million contract just hours after Dallas' interest was reported, and this was tough pill to swallow for Mavericks fans considering Simons would've been the perfect guard signing for Dallas.

Simons has a player option in the second season of his deal with Philly, so this is clearly a one-year prove-it contract, but it's very bittersweet from the Mavericks' standpoint that they could've offered him far more than the 76ers. His skillset would've complemented Kyrie Irving perfectly in Dallas' backcourt, as Dallas desperately needed a guard of his caliber to relieve some of the shot creation burden from Irving and Cooper Flagg, but instead they're still left hanging at this point in free agency.

Dallas missed an opportunity to sign a high-level guard for cheap

For Simons, this deal makes sense given the contract he was recently on, as he was averaging $25 million annually on his previous deal. With many teams only being able to offer the Mid-Level Exception at this point in free agency, he's betting on himself this season with the hope of potentially returning to the $20 million-plus range on his next deal if he has a good season.

Regardless, it's still shocking to see a player of his caliber go for this cheap, as Simons is a bona fide three-level scorer and solid playmaker, and could've easily slotted into Dallas' offense as the third option behind Irving and Flagg.

He's had multiple fringe All-Star caliber seasons, and is in the middle of his prime at 27 years old, so it's a huge stain on the Mavericks if they weren't willing to offer him more than Philadelphia was.

Mavs screwed up if they were trying to nickel-and-dime Simons

Of course, this hasn't been reported yet, as Marc Stein simply reported that Philadelphia made more lucrative offers for Simons than the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, whereas he simply picked the 76ers over the Mavericks. If it wasn't about the money for Simons this season, this makes sense given how the 76ers have positioned themselves in the East following the acquisition of Jaylen Brown.

However, it simply seems hard to believe he would've turned down the full MLE (~$15 million annually) from Dallas if it were a three or four-year deal, especially given the fact he would probably have started if he signed in Dallas, compared to in Philadelphia, where he'll almost certainly come off the bench behind Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.

Dallas could've offered him a bigger deal and role than he ultimately got, and it's an indictment on Masai Ujiri and company if it comes out that they were reluctant to do this. Simons is far more talented than he's getting paid for with the 76ers, even if he's coming off a season-ending wrist injury after being traded to the Chicago Bulls at last season's trade deadline.

Mavericks still have ways to add a guard, but are running out of time

There are still a couple of other options for the Mavericks with the MLE on the open market as far as guard types are concerned, such as former LA Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin, but most of the top free agents are off the board at this juncture, and it's seeming increasingly likely Dallas will have to find another guard via trade at this point.

Simons would've slid in perfectly into Dallas' rotation, and he likely would've elevated them to a playoff team if they made a few more moves around the margins, especially after their recent acquisition of Santi Aldama.

It's a shame he got swooped up so quickly after rumors were reported of Dallas' interest in him, especially since he was Dallas' first real free agent target, but the business of the NBA won't stop to pity the Mavericks, as the front office still needs to be working around the clock to formulate the final rendition of next year's roster.

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