AD’s Return Hinges on Mavericks Owner’s Approval – ESPN

DALLAS — According to sources that spoke with ESPN on Wednesday, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont has asked for medical records confirming that Anthony Davis faces no elevated risk of re-injuring his strained left calf before authorizing the ten-time All-Star center’s return to the court.

Davis is officially listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest at home against the Phoenix Suns. He has carried this designation on the team’s injury report for three straight games, but this will be his seventh consecutive absence.

Sources indicated that he initially planned to make his return during Saturday’s road game versus the Washington Wizards. However, a difference of opinion arose between Johann Bilsborough, the Mavs’ director of health and performance, and Davis’s personal medical personnel regarding the wisdom of that timeline. According to sources, Davis was ultimately held out after Dumont sided with Bilsborough, opting for an abundance of caution.

Sources added that Dumont’s involvement in this decision underscores his diminished confidence in general manager Nico Harrison, who was relieved of his duties Tuesday morning. Harrison had reportedly supported Davis’s return.

Reportedly, there are fears that Davis could suffer a potentially devastating injury if his calf strain isn’t fully healed, mirroring the situation with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his Achilles tendon in the decisive Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Since joining Dallas in a trade involving Luka Doncic — a transaction that sparked considerable outrage among Mavericks fans — Davis has participated in just 14 regular-season games and two play-in contests.

It has been reported that Davis was still recovering from an abdominal injury when he was traded, and he hastened his return for the team’s first home game post-trade. He then sustained an adductor strain, related to his previous injury, after a dominant first half in a Feb. 8 victory over the Houston Rockets. This adductor strain kept Davis sidelined for the subsequent six weeks.