Mavs Rumors: Anthony Davis, Jason Kidd, Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki

The Mavericks are trying to move forward, but nothing about this week has felt simple.

Anthony Davis will miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday in Phoenix, with team owner Patrick Dumont refusing to clear the big man until the team can provide medical data proving he is not at risk of aggravating his left calf strain.

That’s according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who reported the internal split between the Mavericks’ medical staff and Davis’ personal team over whether he was ready to return.

MacMahon also reported that Dumont sided with Dallas’ director of health and performance Johann Bilsborough, who preferred a cautious approach, while Nico Harrison supported Davis’ push to play.

The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Christian Clark, and Sam Amick echoed that reporting and added that team doctors feared a heightened risk of an Achilles tear if Davis returned too soon.

That debate was one of the final flashpoints before Harrison was dismissed on Tuesday.

Cuban’s input: According to The Athletic’s trio, minority shareholder Mark Cuban had voiced concerns for months that Harrison was leading the franchise in the wrong direction.

MacMahon reported that head coach Jason Kidd and staffers aligned with him had been privately making the same case. Kidd and Harrison clashed most notably when Kidd opened the season by starting Cooper Flagg at point guard over free agent addition D’Angelo Russell.

Kidd, who signed extensions in each of the past two offseasons, held more influence than the front office in those disagreements, per The Athletic.

Search is on: Dallas will now launch what Marc Stein of The Stein Line described as a “prudent and thorough” search for Harrison’s permanent replacement.

The Athletic reported that Cuban has pushed for Dennis Lindsey, now with the Pistons and formerly an advisor in Dallas. A promotion for Matt Riccardi would be viewed internally as a sign of Kidd’s sway.

Nowitzki rumors surface: The Athletic also detailed widespread frustration inside the organization with Harrison’s hiring practices, pointing to turnover in the medical department and the short-lived tenure of former PR head Victoria Martinez, who was fired in September after being hired in 2024 without prior experience in that role.

Multiple team employees told The Athletic that Harrison bristled at disagreement, even on minor issues.

Despite that, Stein reports that the front office change has sparked optimism about Dirk Nowitzki becoming more involved with the franchise again.

Michael Finley, now serving as co-interim GM with Riccardi, was initially reluctant to take the role, according to Stein. He also reported that Finley was the loudest internal critic of last season’s Luka Doncic trade before it went through.

For now, Dallas waits for Davis to get healthy, Kyrie Irving to return, and the season to stabilize while Dumont reshapes the front office around voices he trusts.