The Dallas Mavericks are approaching a crucial season. Cooper Flagg’s arrival has reignited hope, and fans are ready to move forward after the emotional rollercoaster that followed Luka Doncic’s blockbuster trade. But just as things seemed to be settling, more trouble is brewing, and this time, it’s not coming from the front office. 

The franchise’s biggest gamble, Anthony Davis, was expected to help bridge the gap between the Mavericks’ past and their future. In nine regular-season games with Dallas last year, Davis averaged 20 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He showed flashes of dominance, but durability, once again, clouds the picture. And with media day looming and Kyrie Irving already sidelined until at least January, the Mavs just got hit with another gut punch. The Dunk Central posted on X: “Anthony Davis’ status for opening night is in question, as he still isn’t fully back on the court, per @TheSteinLine.”

That’s the kind of update no Mavs fan wanted to see this close to training camp. In a recent sit-down, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein laid out the situation clearly: “You know, media day is now we’re less than three weeks away. That will be the first time we’ve, we see Kyrie since he underwent knee surgery, but also it’ll be our chance to see AD who we know had this eye procedure. And based on everything I’m told, he’s not fully back on the court yet.”

He continued, “I mean, he can’t be fully back on the court yet. So it’s like, when practices start on September 30th, will AD even be ready to practice at that point? We don’t know that yet. So it’s not just the potential of starting the season without Kyrie. Is AD going to be ready to go on opening night against San Antonio? I mean, October 22nd ain’t that far away. So there, there’s so many questions.” That’s a bombshell.

The Dallas Mavericks could be without both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis to start the season. Davis underwent surgery in July to repair a detached retina, an injury he played through during the latter part of last season. While the expectation was that he’d be ready for camp, that now appears unlikely.

This is a major blow for GM Nico Harrison. After spearheading the controversial Luka Doncic trade to bring Davis to Dallas, Harrison immediately became the face of a risky pivot. Davis dazzled in his Mavericks debut, but he only played in 11 total games due to multiple injuries suffered during the season. With so much pressure to validate the move, and with expectations sky-high thanks to the selection of Cooper Flagg, Harrison’s blueprint is already showing cracks.

Dallas can’t afford another slow start. The team begins the season against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on October 22. Without Davis, the Dallas Mavericks will lean heavily on a rookie, a recovering big man, Dereck Lively II, and an uncertain bench. Not ideal for a franchise trying to prove it’s still in win-now mode. And amidst all this high-pressure situation for the Mavs front office, Mark Cuban has made a bombshell revelation about the deal to sell the Mavericks.

Cuban admits regret over Mavericks deal

While Davis’s health remains up in the air, another storyline exploded this week—this one off the court. Former majority owner Mark Cuban dropped a bomb of his own during an appearance on the All-In Podcast, the short clip of which was shared on X on September 10.  When asked about the franchise-altering sale that eventually led to the Luka trade, Cuban didn’t hold back, “Yeah. I f——- up… Yeah, I mean when I did the deal, the presumption was that I would still be running basketball and we tried to put it in the contract. But the NBA said The Governor is the Governor and they make all final decisions.”

Cuban added, “And then, I was involved. And then we went on this run where we went to the finals and rather than trying to interject myself all the time, right, I was like I don’t want to get in the way—we’re rolling. And that was a mistake, right. So it went.” Cuban admitted the sale didn’t go the way he had envisioned. He believed he’d retain operational control, but says the NBA intervened and removed a clause from the deal.

The most damning revelation? His acknowledgment that he was pushed out of basketball ops by internal figures, namely, those behind the Luka trade. “There was some things that happened internally, where, the person who traded Luka didn’t want me there and so they won. I lost. That’s in the past. I’m still hardcore Mavs.” Cuban revealed in the same episode. 

Nico Harrison now sits at the center of a storm. Davis’ shaky status for opening night. Kyrie’s long rehab timeline. Cuban publicly distanced himself from the decision-making process that defined the last six months. With the former owner calling out the lack of control he ultimately had, despite still owning 27% of the team, it’s clear that Cuban expected to play a more active role in shaping the team’s basketball direction.

Instead, the Adelson family’s front office, led by Patrick Dumont, gave full trust and control to Harrison. Fans have long suspected that Cuban wasn’t behind the decision to move Doncic. Now they have confirmation. The anger that erupted in Dallas when the trade was made was justified. 

With Cooper Flagg now the face of the franchise, the hope in Dallas is for a clean slate. But Anthony Davis’s uncertain availability casts a dark shadow over what was supposed to be a new era. Flagg may be the most anticipated No. 1 pick since LeBron, but even he needs structure and veteran leadership to thrive.

The Mavericks traded away their generational superstar, believing they could reset around Davis and Flagg. But if Davis can’t stay on the court, and if Kyrie remains sidelined into 2026, Dallas risks watching its grand plan unravel before it ever really begins. Add in the lingering tension from Cuban’s sidelining and the organizational dysfunction that followed, and it’s clear that the Mavericks are fighting for credibility. If Anthony Davis isn’t on the court when training camp begins, Nico Harrison’s phone will be buzzing, this time, with more questions than answers.