Once a rival, now a Maverick—Anthony Davis’ new chapter had begun. On Saturday, the ex-Laker stepped onto the American Airlines Center floor for the first time. But the arena wasn’t welcoming, with only half-filled seats. Meanwhile, Dallas fans were still reeling after losing Luka Doncic. Still, AD came to play. For 31 minutes, he dazzled, dropping 26 points. He found a rhythm with Kyrie Irving. He silenced the crowd. But then—disaster struck. A sudden fall. A sharp grimace. A lower-body injury.

The cheers turned to gasps as the energy shifted. And just like that, Davis limped off, leaving behind more than just a scoreline. He left behind worry. But wait, recent reports and concerning insights from NBA insiders could leave you scratching your head. It looks like life has indeed come full circle for Nico Harrison & Co. Remember when they said Luka Doncic’s injuries and conditioning were a major issue for them? Well, guess what, the star they brought in exchange for Luka is facing similar, if not the same, troubles.

Coming back to Anthony Davis and his injury, Brian Windhort has some information. On The Hoop Collective, he informed the audience that another Maverick, Dereck Lively II will continue to be on the sidelines “for most if not all the rest of the regular season.” Meanwhile, “We’ll see when AD can return, but it’s not going to be for at least a little while.” Simply put, if a player is missing a month of action, he is missing half of their remaining schedule. And given the degree of his injury, how long will Davis be out of action?

“Very clearly, this is a grade 2 at least. They have to hope it’s a 2,” Windy mentioned. The Dallas Mavericks desperately hope that Anthony Davis’ injury is a grade 2 type. Or else? Their reasons to trade for Luka will repeat themselves. Simply put, an injured AD, throw in conditioning, and you have the history repeating itself. Only this time, there might not be another trade. Windhorst continued: “Because if it’s a 3, we got real big problems. But hopefully, it’s not a 3. I think that would have been more apparent. But if it’s a grade 2 sprain, that’s a 3 to 5 to 6-week injury. Depending on various people.”

This leaves the Mavs in an even tighter spot; they have Kyrie Irving to rely on. He’s still playing with this back injury and remains the only ball-handler with real consequences on the roster. Moreover, after Monday’s medical tests, we’ll get to know how severe Anthony Davis’ injury is. For now, the Mavericks front office finds themselves in hot water as their coaching staff thins away one after the other.

With Anthony Davis’ entry and Doncic’s exit, another coach leaves the Mavs’ canopy

Luka Doncic isn’t the only one turning his back on Dallas. Another shocker just dropped. NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed—Marko Milic is out. But he didn’t just walk away. He made a choice. No Luka, no reason to stay. He refused Nico Harrison’s offer. Thus, refusing the Mavericks’ future. As the first Slovenian in the NBA, he was a mentor to the likes of Doncic and could’ve been one for Anthony Davis, too. He was like a bridge between generations. But now, he has burned that bridge. His time in Dallas? Over.

This exposes the real “non-yes men.” The ones Nico Harrison quietly pushed aside. But it raises a bigger, scarier question. Was this about control? Ego? Power? Is Nico pulling a Jerry Jones? Letting go of a 25-year-old generational talent just to prove he never needed him? Besides, they fired every staff member remotely or closely associated with Luka.

First, they took Anze Macek—Luka’s handpicked strength coach. Then, they let go of Javier Barrio Calvo, his trusted therapist. But they didn’t stop there. Mike Robertson, Doncic’s performance coach, was next. Quietly erased from the staff. One by one, they stripped Luka of his team. But why? What was the endgame? It’s pretty mysterious, to be honest.

As you can understand, the front office has not just one, but a series of things to worry about. Luka Doncic‘s trade and its aftermath aren’t the only problem. Anthony Davis’ injury, Kyrie Irving’s injury, and Dereck Lively II’s absence could have a massive impact on the rotations. Thus adding to Jason Kidd’s stress amidst Marko Milic’s exit. The scenes in Dallas are tricky, to say the least!