It seems Mavericks’ governor Patrick Dumont is the one calling the shots for when Anthony Davis will return to the court as trade talk swirls around the 10-time All-Star.
Davis has been sidelined with a left calf strain and will reportedly miss his seventh consecutive game on Wednesday (US time), and ESPN reported that Davis won’t return until Dumont gives the OK.
The Mavericks owner asked for medical data showing that the 10-time All-Star will not risk aggravating his injury if he plays before green-lighting any return, according to the report.
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The concern right now appears to be that Davis could suffer a severe injury if he is not entirely healed, similar to what happened to Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton last season during the NBA Finals, when he went down with an Achilles tear.
Davis, 32, originally aimed to return to the court on Nov. 8 against the Wizards, but Johann Bilsborough, the Mavericks’ director of health and performance, and Davis’ personal medical staff differed in their opinions on that.
Dumont went with the team’s medical staff’s opinion, and Davis sat out that game.
Could Anthony Davis get traded again? (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
According to ESPN, Dumont’s increased involvement with the decision-making process over Davis showed the disintegrating trust he had with former general manager Nico Harrison.
Harrison, who was reportedly in favour of Davis returning earlier, was fired Tuesday, nine months after completing the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis.
Davis was the centrepiece in the deal on the Mavericks’ side of the February trade that shook the NBA universe.
He’s also been sidelined more than he’s actually suited up for the Mavericks since the trade.
There’s been ample conversation around the possibility of Davis getting put on the trade block following Harrison’s dismissal, so the 3-9 team can build around No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg moving forward.
“I can tell you teams are already having internal conversations, like: ‘What would the price point be? What do we think their price point is going to be?’ Obviously this is like shellshock time for the Mavericks, they have a new front office, I don’t think anything is really going on,” NBA Insider Zach Lowe said on TheZach Lowe Show.
“It’s before December 15, when the free agents signed over the summer can’t be traded. Really, it’s impossible to make anything happen, there is going to be time.
“It’s early, there’s no hard intel yet … (but) there’s going to be Anthony Davis trade talks of some seriousness.
“Whether they result in a deal or not, it’s impossible to say. I would bet on yes.”
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Crucially, the Mavericks own their 2026 first-round draft pick, but don’t have control of any of their other first-rounders until 2031.
NBA insider Marc Stein said wrote that “it’s certainly possible” Davis will be made available to other teams between now and the February 5 trade deadline.
“There has been no suggestion in the immediate aftermath of Harrison’s ouster that he would try to force his exit just because Harrison, who openly loved him and wanted to build around him, has abruptly been dismissed,” Stein said on his Substack.
He added: “It’s believed the Mavericks will work with Davis’ camp over the next two-plus months as they decide whether to pursue an in-season trade. Davis’ agent Rich Paul and Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont have established a relationship that features regular contact since they were introduced at the Mavericks’ Play-In Tournament victory in Sacramento in April.”
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Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor called for the Mavericks to clean house to boost their 2026 lottery odds given it’s their “last chance” to get access to a high-end young star.
“The Mavericks have to blow it up and tank their butts off to increase their odds of landing a top pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class. They have to trade Anthony Davis. They have to trade Kyrie Irving once he’s healthy. They have to trade Klay Thompson and Megan Thee Stallion. They have to trade D’Angelo Russell. And field calls on the younger vets like P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall. Everyone except for Cooper Flagg should be on the block,” O’Connor wrote.
“The Mavs have their own first in 2026, then don’t have the rights to their own pick again until 2031 (the Thunder can swap with them in 2028 and the Spurs can in 2030). So this is effectively their last chance to land in the lottery and find a co-star for Flagg.”
So which teams could be a Davis suitor?
NBA reporter Evan Sidery revealed the Bulls are “a team to monitor” for Davis, who’s from Chicago, given they have close to $90 million in expiring contracts and all their picks.
He suggested a deal built around Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and picks could make sense for both parties.
Davis has played in a grand total of 16 games, which includes two play-in games, since he arrived in Dallas.
The five-time All-NBA selection dealt with an abdominal injury when he was traded as part of the earth-shattering move and was quick to return in time for his new team’s first home game, only to suffer a related adductor strain during a Feb. 8 win.
Davis in the first year of a three-year, $175 million deal (AUD $268 million) that has a player option in the final 2027/28 season. He’s eligible for a three-year extension worth around $218 million next off-season.
-Parts of this story appeared in the New York Post and were reproduced with permission.