Nico Harrison has urged Anthony Davies to return early despite an Achilles injury warning

Consequences from The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to fire general manager Nick Harrison earlier this week it deepened, with new reports suggesting internal disagreements over the handshake Anthony Davis‘ an injury.

According to an Athletic report released Wednesday by Joe Vardon, Christian Clark and Sam Amick, Harrison reportedly encouraged Davis to return to the lineup earlier than advised despite warnings from Mavericks medical staff about a potential Achilles tear.

“Monday’s loss to the Bucks marked the sixth straight game Davis has missed with a strained left leg,” the report said. According to multiple league sources, Davis tried to convince the Mavs to let him return to the court, and Harrison urged him to return, but the team’s medical staff forbade it, citing the possibility of a torn Achilles if Davis returned too soon.

The revelation adds another layer to the Mavericks’ early-season turmoil after a disappointing 3-8 start and Harrison’s sudden dismissal on Tuesday. His departure comes more than a year later Dallas reached the 2024 NBA Finalswhere the team fell to the Boston Celtics in five games.

The Mavericks have stumbled due to an injury to Anthony Davis and a slump following the firing of Nick Harrison

Davis last appeared in the Mavericks’ 107-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 29, when he played just seven minutes before exiting with an injury. He finished with four points, four rebounds and one steal on 2-for-4 shooting from the field. The 32-year-old forward, acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade in February 2024, has appeared in just five games this season, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52 percent from the field.

With Davis sidelined and Kyrie Irving recovering from a torn ACL, Dallas has relied heavily on its bench and rotation players — a formula that hasn’t yielded success. The Mavericks currently rank 14th in the Western Conference and remain near the bottom of the league in offensive and defensive efficiency.

In Harrison’s absence, assistant general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have assumed interim control of basketball operations while ownership evaluates long-term options.

The Mavericks will try to end their six-game skid on Wednesday when they host the Phoenix Suns (6-5) at 8:30 PM ET, followed by home games against the Denver Nuggets (7-3) on Friday and the Portland Trail Blazers (5-5) on Sunday.