The Mavericks passed on Andrew Bynum because of his bad knees, but they’re interested in the Greg Oden reclamation project.

Sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the Mavs formally reached out to Oden’s camp to make sure they’d be involved in the bidding for the services of the 2007 No. 1 overall pick. The Mavs made that contact even before they opted to not make an offer to Bynum.

Why would the Mavs be willing to take a chance on Oden but not Bynum? The price will be significantly lower for Oden, who hasn’t played since the 2009-10 season.

The Mavs are among the teams who have been keeping tabs on Oden’s rehab for the last two years. That group also includes the two Finals teams, and the Mavs would likely have to significantly outbid the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs to get Oden.

One source close to the process told Stein that the Mavericks will get "legit consideration" from Oden alongside the teams previously in his top three: San Antonio, Miami and Cleveland.

Oden’s bad knees limited him to 82 games in two seasons with Portland -- three, if you count the 2007-08 season, which he missed entirely after injuring his right knee in the preseason. Oden averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks before his forced sabbatical.