Being a restricted free agent means there’s not a whole lot of chance Patrick Beverley ends up playing for anyone other than the Houston Rockets. But the Dallas Mavericks are thinking about trying to get him.

Last year the Rockets didn’t want to lose Chandler Parsons, but the circumstances and quick turn of events helped the Dallas Mavericks overpay for him and snatch him through the same course: Restricted free agency, as the Rockets didn’t match the offer sheet.

Beverley, a point guard who plays a lot without the ball, as you’d expect in a backcourt occupying James Harden, is someone who should fit both teams very well. He’s a good defender (although sometimes overrated by certain pundits), a solid 3-point shooter and overall complements a team that doesn’t need him to carry the ball quite well.

For the Mavericks, who are in a big cloud of doubt at the moment, Beverley might have a bit more offensive and ball handling responsibility than with the Rockets, but the plan is to add players that together will Chandler Parsons will run the floor when the strong unit is playing.

Beverley didn’t play in the postseason due to a wrist injury. The Rockets dealt with injuries all season long and Beverley, who was signed by the Rockets in the middle of the 2012-2013 season, has yet to play more than 56 games in a season.

It’s a subtle art, restricted free agency. The Mavericks might be interested in him just to screw with the Rockets in the ongoing Texas rivalry between the three teams in the lone star state. But offering too much (the Rockets won’t match any offer sheet) might land the Mavericks with a player they wanted, but not for that kind of price.