Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont will not allow Anthony Davis to play again until team doctors can confirm the forward faces no risk of worsening his left calf strain, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Davis is officially listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s home matchup with the Phoenix Suns, marking the third straight game he has carried that designation. Despite that status, the 10-time All-Star is set to miss his seventh consecutive contest.
According to sources, Davis originally targeted last Saturday’s road game against the Washington Wizards for his return. Mavericks director of health and performance Johann Bilsborough opposed that timetable, clashing with Davis’ personal medical staff. Dumont ultimately sided with Bilsborough and delayed the comeback.
Team insiders view Dumont’s direct involvement as evidence of declining confidence in former general manager Nico Harrison, who was dismissed Tuesday morning. Harrison had supported allowing Davis to play, sources said.
The organization fears Davis could suffer a severe setback if he returns prematurely, pointing to Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals as a cautionary example.
Since arriving in Dallas as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers, Davis has appeared in just 14 regular-season games and two play-in contests. He was rehabbing an abdominal injury at the time of the February deal and hurried back for his first home game on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets, dominating the first half before exiting with a related adductor strain that sidelined him for six weeks.
Source: ESPN
