Rumors: Mavericks were interested in high-profile signing before rival stole him

The Dallas Mavericks continue to defy all odds and expectations despite whatever circumstances are surrounding the team, as the Mavericks have won four out of their last five games as they head into NBA All-Star weekend. Dallas' most recent victory was perhaps their most gutsy of the season, as they were down eight of their prominent rotation players including all of their stars, yet a stout defensive effort and an uber-efficient 27 points on 11-13 shooting from the field from Dante Exum helped lead Dallas to a 118-113 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

There's also been a growing optimism amongst Mavericks fans in regard to the potential of 22-year-old guard Max Christie, as Christie turned 22 just four days ago and has flashed potential as a secondary shot creator and stellar point-of-attack defender. Christie didn't start to blossom with the Los Angeles Lakers till a short stretch right before the Luka Doncic trade, but performances like Mavericks fans saw from him on Thursday night give Dallas a glimpse of hope that they can ever so slightly turn the optics of the Doncic trade more in their favor.

Unless Nico Harrison's vision with Anthony Davis comes to fruition and the Mavericks win a championship in the next few seasons, Dallas doesn't project to ever truly win the Doncic trade, as it was a colossal fumble on all fronts given the details that have emerged since the trade.

However, Christie scoring 19 points on 8-19 shooting from the field to go along with five assists against the Heat on Thursday goes to show how much Dallas coveted him in this deal. Christie's offensive potential isn't a known quantity right now given that he is a former second-round pick who only recently took on a more expansive offensive role with the Lakers before joining the Mavericks, so that's an intriguing silver lining on the Doncic deal, though Christie will likely be relied upon even heavier after the All-Star break given all of Dallas' injuries.

Mavericks wanted to sign Ben Simmons before Clippers swooped in

However improbable and exciting it has been to see these Mavericks embody the next-man-up mentality as well as seeing young role players like Christie step up huge throughout this recent stretch, Dallas desperately needs frontcourt help coming out of the All-Star break. Though the Mavericks have an open roster spot, financial constraints from them being hard capped at the first apron prevent them from being able to sign a buyout candidate at even the veteran's minimum, and this caused Dallas to miss out on new LA Clippers forward Ben Simmons.

Simmons has become one of the most infamous names in the NBA ever since his awkward exit from the Philadelphia 76ers a few seasons ago, as he hasn't possessed the same level of explosiveness on offense and has been mediocre in the in-between game, where he previously thrived. Simmons is still a huge athletic wing who can playmake and rebound at a high level though, and his 6-foot-10 and 240-pound frame would've given him the ability to play small-ball center in Dallas had things worked out differently.

It's even been reported by NBA insider Marc Stein that the Mavericks registered interest in Simmons (subscription required) before the Clippers signed him, even though the Mavericks didn't have the financial wherewithal to sign him until they are allotted a full veteran's minimum slot toward the end of March. Simmons averaged 6.2 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game in 25 minutes per game throughout 33 games played with the Brooklyn Nets this season, and given he's still in his athletic prime at 28 years old, it seems like the depreciation of his offensive game is due to a lack of confidence from some of the injuries he's suffered.

Simmons could've been a very effective small-ball center for the Mavericks, and he'd easily be the most dynamic passer out of the short roll out of any of Dallas' current bigs or wings. Simmons would have been a great short-term solution for the Mavericks if they had more wiggle room to sign him in the buyout market, but instead, he went to one of Dallas' rivals in the Clippers.

Simmons had 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field in his Clippers debut yesterday versus the Utah Jazz, and he also posted seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block. Clearly, Simmons isn't completely washed still, but he's been extremely inconsistent both offensively and health-wise over the past few seasons, so only time will tell if the Mavericks whiffed by not waiving one of their players to snag Simmons in the buyout market.

Even upon Dallas' gaudy big man trio returning to the lineup, Dallas could assuredly have found a way to utilize Simmons as a starting or backup wing depending on how well he would have played for the Mavericks over the coming weeks. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they probably won't find any names as hot as Simmons that could provide a temporary solution to their absurd injury problems at center, and the Mavericks will likely continue to scour the buyout market over the All-Star break and afterward given that two-way signee Kylor Kelley is currently the only healthy center on the roster.