The Mavericks had a chance to land the kind of guard who could have made life easier for Kyrie Irving, and they watched him slip away almost immediately.
Dallas registered interest in Anfernee Simons, but that window slammed shut fast. Just hours after the Mavericks’ interest was reported, Simons agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. For Dallas fans, that had to sting - especially because Simons looked like a clean fit and, on paper, a bargain the Mavericks easily could have beaten.
That deal is a one-year prove-it setup in disguise. Simons has a player option in the second season, so this is really about giving himself a platform to cash in later.
He was making about $25 million annually on his previous contract, and with so many teams limited to the Mid-Level Exception at this point in free agency, he chose the path that gives him a chance to rebuild his value. If he delivers, he could be back in the $20 million-plus neighborhood next time around.
From Dallas’ perspective, though, the price tag only makes the miss look worse. Simons is a three-level scorer with real playmaking chops, the kind of guard who could have taken pressure off Irving and Cooper Flagg by handling more of the shot creation.
He’s 27, squarely in his prime, and has already had multiple fringe All-Star caliber seasons. That’s why it feels like such a missed opportunity if the Mavericks weren’t willing to go higher than Philadelphia.
Marc Stein reported that the 76ers made stronger offers than the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, and that Simons chose Philadelphia. He also noted that the source close to the talks confirmed the guard had verbally agreed to sign with the Sixers.
Anfernee Simons has managed to score a new deal from Philadelphia richer than the offers made by Golden State and Miami and chooses the 76ers over Dallas' interest as well.
Source close to the talks confirms that the scoring guard has verbally agreed to sign with Philadelphia. https://t.co/tnvlEPIv9P
- Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2026
Still, it’s tough to see him turning down Dallas if the Mavericks had truly put a full MLE offer on the table for three or four years. He likely would have had a bigger role there, too.
In Dallas, he probably would have started. In Philadelphia, he’ll almost certainly come off the bench behind Tyrese Maxey and V.J.
Edgecombe.
That’s what makes this one feel so frustrating for the Mavericks. They could have offered Simons more money, more years, and a clearer role than he ended up getting. If they hesitated, that’s a bad look.
The good news, if there is any, is that Dallas is not completely out of options. There are still a couple of guard types available on the market who could fit with the MLE, including former LA Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin. But the top names are disappearing fast, and the Mavericks may be headed toward a trade if they want to solve the backcourt for real.
Simons would have fit neatly into the rotation and, with a few more moves around the edges, could have helped push Dallas toward playoff level, especially after the recent acquisition of Santi Aldama. Instead, he’s gone before the Mavericks could make the pitch stick. He was their first real free-agent target, and the front office now has to keep working to piece together the rest of next season’s roster.
In Other News...
Mavericks Finally Made A Move Fans Have Been Waiting On
For months, Mavericks fans have wanted a frontcourt addition who could help the offense breathe a little more, and Dallas finally found one. Santi Aldama gives the roster a different kind of big, one with enough shooting to pull defenders away from the paint and enough size to fit the lineups the Mavericks have been trying to build around their stars.
Aldama comes over after five seasons with Memphis, bringing a steady scoring presence and the kind of floor-spacing profile this team has lacked. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds last season while hitting 35 percent from three-point range, a useful blend for a Mavericks front line that has spent too much time crowded in tight spaces. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Lost Their Cleanest Daniel Gafford Trade Path
The Mavericks center picture has only gotten a little more crowded, and not in a way that helps Daniel Gaffords trade value. Los Angeles landing Walker Kessler changed one lane in the market, but Utahs move has a bigger ripple for Dallas because it takes away a team that looked like a clean fit for a rim-running big and a club with the kind of future assets that can matter in a deal.
For Dallas, the problem is less about Gaffords usefulness than about finding the right landing spot at the right time. Utah now appears set to build its frontcourt around Jusuf Nurkic and Jaxson Hayes, which leaves the Mavericks searching for another partner if they want to keep working the phones on Gafford. It is the sort of roster twist that can quickly turn a straightforward trade path into a much longer wait. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got The Kind Of Trade Opening They Cannot Waste
The trade market in the West may have just handed Dallas a clean opening, and it comes from a Portland roster that suddenly looks crowded in the wrong places. After the Grizzlies sent Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, Portlands backcourt now has more high-end guards than it can comfortably fit, a problem that only gets sharper when you look at how many players need real minutes and a real role.
For the Mavericks, that kind of logjam is exactly the sort of situation worth monitoring. Dallas has been searching for ways to improve around the edges without boxing itself in, and the front office does have tools to work with, including Klay Thompson on an expiring deal, P.J. Washington in trade discussions and a $20.8 million trade exception. If Portland ever decides it needs to sort out its guard rotation, Dallas should be ready to pounce before another team beats it to the line. [Read more 🡒]