Report: Mavericks Targeted Former Net Ben Simmons After Blockbuster Trade

Brooklyn's former veteran guard could've replaced Luka Doncic.

Feb 13, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) defends LA Clippers guard/forward Ben Simmons (25) during the first half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Lost in an extremely hectic NBA trade deadline was Ben Simmons' transition from Kings County to Southern California. After insisting for months that Simmons would remain with the team, the Brooklyn Nets granted his wish of a buyout, paving way for him to sign with the LA Clippers.

However, there was another Western Conference contender interested in adding Simmons' services to its rotation: the Dallas Mavericks. The now-highly scrutinized organization responsible for shipping out Luka Doncic in the dead of night hoped to replace its former superstar with three-time All-Star.

Ultimately Simmons landed in LA, but a pairing of Simmons, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis would've been an intriguing rotation. There will obviously always be "what if?" scenarios discussed around the league, but this one creates more questions on Brooklyn's end. Dallas now becomes the third franchise to have been confirmed to be interested in adding Simmons, courtesy of NBA insider Marc Stein.

"League sources say that Dallas had an interest in joining the buyout market bidding for Ben Simmons, who swiftly joined the LA Clippers after negotiating his release from the Brooklyn Nets and held appeal to the Mavericks as a small ball center," Stein wrote.

Dallas, LA and the Cleveland Cavaliers were the three teams in the running, all prepping to make serious noise this upcoming postseason. With so much reported interest, could the Nets have possibly traded the former first-overall selection from the 2016 NBA Draft?

The simple answer is no, largely due to his $40-plus million cap number for the 2024-25 campaign. Multiple "bad" contracts would've needed to be shipped back to Brooklyn, and it's highly unlikely the three interested teams, or any other contender for that matter, would've been able to make the money work. Thus, Simmons was headed for the buyout market.

Outside of the Simmons split, this year's trade deadline was quiet on the Nets' front. General manager Sean Marks opted to stay put amid a mid-season resurgence, but as it's revealed that more teams had dreams of adding Simmons, it's interesting to ponder whether the team could've received anything in return for the 28-year-old.

The Nets return to action at home next Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. EST.

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