Prior to the LA Clippers contract, Dallas Mavericks were interested in Ben Simmons on the buyout market.

MLB Rumors: Prior to the LA Clippers contract, Dallas Mavericks were interested in Ben Simmons on the buyout market.

NBA insider Marc Stein claims that the Dallas Mavericks were interested in signing Ben Simmons but were unable to participate in the buyout market because of salary-cap restrictions.

Shortly after being acquired by the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Stein stated that Simmons "held appeal to the Mavericks as a small ball center" and that the Mavs "had interest" in bidding for him.

However, Stein stated that it was "not mathematically possible" for the Mavs to defeat bids from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and Clippers because the team has less than $200,000 in first apron space.

The announcement followed Simmons' Clippers debut, in which he scored 12 points on 4 of 5 shots. His new team defeated the Utah Jazz in overtime on Thursday thanks to his seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, and zero turnovers.

Following the victory, Norman Powell claimed that Simmons' influence was noticed by the Clippers "as soon as he checked in" (via Law Murray of The Athletic).

Powell described his running the lane, going out in transition, and racing alongside them as "just the passes and reads that he made." "He sees the floor so well because he's such a great passer."

After apparently losing Anthony Davis, the mainstay of the trade return for Luka Dončić, for several weeks, the Mavericks might need that kind of passer.

However, since they signed Naji Marshall this summer, the Mavs have been hard-capped at the first apron this season, which limits their ability to make trade or free agency moves.

In order to offer the Mavericks "flexibility to be as competitive as possible," Davis waived a $5.9 million trade kicker that was part of his contract, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

According to cap researcher Yossi Gozlan, the Mavs were $4.4 million over the luxury tax and slightly under the hard cap because Caleb Martin decided not to waive his own 15 percent trade kicker in the transaction to acquire him from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Due to an ongoing hip ailment, Stein earlier stated that the Mavericks had the opportunity to invalidate the Martin trade. However, the organization chose to pursue the move because they "believe Martin can recover in a matter of weeks."

The Mavs might not have been able to compete for Simmons in the buyout market as a result of that choice. In an effort to defeat rivals like the Mavericks for one of the six Western playoff positions that are assured, he will now look to bolster the Clippers' bench.