Dallas Mavericks Fighting With Warriors, Heat for High-Scoring Free Agent Guard

The Dallas Mavericks have a massive hole in their backcourt, desperately needing a scoring punch from their guards. They may have a line on one, as NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that they have emerged as suitors for free agent guard Anfernee Simons.

Simons, who is still only 27 years old, is coming off a relatively down year, averaging 14.3 PPG across 49 games with the Boston Celtics and 6 games with the Chicago Bulls.

Before that, he was an electric guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 20.7 PPG across his last three seasons there from 2022-25. He was then sent to Boston in the 2025 offseason as part of the Jrue Holiday trade, then salary-dumped to the Bulls, as the Celtics were looking to reset their luxury tax.

The Mavericks have emerged as a suitor for Anfernee Simons, league sources say.

As @JakeLFischer reported yesterday, Golden State and Miami have continued to pursue the free agent scoring guard who finished last season with Chicago.

More NBA from us: https://t.co/OTTFViNtDp pic.twitter.com/0dzkM1N7aB
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2026

The big connection here is obviously the Mavericks' new general manager, Mike Schmitz, who was an assistant GM in Portland for a few years. That gives him the insider knowledge of what Simons can be.

At 6'3", Simons can play either backcourt position, so he could share lineups with Kyrie Irving, or he could be the primary ball-handler in limited stretches. He's also a career 38.1% three-point shooter, which is something the Mavs have to improve on this season.

You can never have enough bucket-getters, and that's exactly what Simons is. However, the Mavericks have some competition for him.

Feb 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Anfernee Simons (22) shoots against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors Also Looking to Sign Anfernee Simons

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors are two other teams interested in Simons.

Miami just made a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they sent out a lot of their guard talent to do so, as Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakuciunas went to Milwaukee. That leaves their backcourt with Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larson, and second-round pick Ryan Conwell.

Simons would be an instant starter in that backcourt, but they don't have as much money to play with. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, they have about $8.5 million of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception to work with.

Meanwhile, Golden State is in the middle of an interesting offseason. Draymond Green opted out of his deal to give the Warriors room to make other moves, which includes chasing LeBron James in free agency. They've re-signed Kristaps Porzingis and De'Anthony Melton, but someone like Simons could be a great fit alongside Stephen Curry.

Simons is a lot like Jordan Poole when Poole was a useful player, and the Warriors have missed having that. However, as they pursue bigger names, Simons may not want to wait.

The Mavericks have the full $15 million of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception open, which is a lot more than the other two teams could offer right now. That may give them a leg up in this pursuit.

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