Ten games into the season, the Dallas Mavericks are 3-7, a disappointing start for a team with championship ambitions. Expectations were high with the arrival of Cooper Flagg, but the results have been far from ideal. Several factors have contributed to their struggles, yet the absence of Anthony Davis remains one of the biggest reasons for the team’s slow start and lack of rhythm on the court.

The veteran forward has missed the team’s last five games due to a calf injury, but this streak was expected to end on Saturday. AD was gearing up for his return to the court, but… Despite being upgraded to questionable before the clash, Davis did not play during Dallas’ win over Washington. So what held him back?

Initially, it was suspected that he himself might’ve pulled back before the game. But if sources are to be believed, his absence was due to an alleged internal conflict between the GM, Nico Harrison, and the medical staff that stopped him from playing on Saturday. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, “there was internal disagreement about whether that was a good idea.”

“And there were a lot of opinions voiced in that. One of the opinions that was… I don’t know if it was a veto. I don’t know how heavily this opinion weighed in. But one of the opinions that was involved here was Patrick Dumont’s. PD went from blind faith in Nico to now weighing in on whether a star can come back from injury. That’s pretty significant,” MacMahon further revealed.

There’s no doubt the Mavs perform well when Davis is on the court, so naturally, the team would want him to get back as soon as possible. But Mavericks’ medical staff suggested that rushing Anthony Davis’ recovery isn’t a great idea, and seeing the long-term goal given the season is still in its early months, Dumont agreed.

The team’s owner had to step in to decide whether a player could return or not; rather than it being something Harrison dealt with speaks volumes to begin with. In fact, if anything, it goes to show that the relationship between Patrick Dumont and GM Nico Harrison is at an all-time low.

Why shouldn’t it be? After all, it was Harrison who was the mastermind behind the now-infamous Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, which has led them to this point. Although there’s still a chance that things might turn around, it seems like Dumont is ready to make a change.

Tim MacMahon believes Nico Harrison’s days in Dallas are limited

While Dallas Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont and GM Nico Harrison seemingly ended things on the same page regarding the Anthony Davis situation, that doesn’t change much in the bigger picture, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The cold, harsh truth is that the future isn’t looking too bright for the storied franchise.

According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, only 26 of the 180 teams that have started the season 3-7 since the 2000s have made it to the playoffs. Given the situation, the Mavs aren’t in a position to claim they can change the tide. Amid this, MacMahon believes it’s no longer a question of whether Nico Harrison will get fired, but rather when he’ll get fired.

“There’s a whole lot of things that ain’t good with the Mavericks. And hey, at this point, I believe it is a matter of when, not if, Nico Harrison will be fired,” MacMahon said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “There is a very, very strong likelihood that it will be mid-season.” Nonetheless, for now, these are mere speculations.

But it could change into reality if Dallas’ results don’t improve in the coming weeks. So, the franchise’s upcoming run of fixtures against the likes of Milwaukee, New York, Portland, Minnesota, Phoenix, and L.A. will be crucial in deciding upon their general manager’s future within the organization.