Nico Harrison almost ruined Anthony Davis' career with one reckless decision

Less than 24 hours before the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, he tried to rush back Anthony Davis from the calf strain that he suffered against the Indiana Pacers on October 29. Davis had missed the previous five games with this same injury, but Harrison was on the side that he needed to return on Monday night for the Mavericks' game against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic.

"Monday’s loss to the Bucks marked the sixth straight game Davis has missed with a left calf strain," Clark wrote. "Multiple league sources said Davis has tried to convince the Mavs to let him return to the court, and Harrison urged him to return, but the team’s medical staff forbade it, citing the potential for a torn Achilles if Davis returned too soon."

Achilles tears have been all over the NBA for the last six months or so, with Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton all going down in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and Harrison seemed okay with the risk on Monday night.

Nico Harrison nearly left Dallas in even more chaos

Haliburton playing through a calf strain in the 2025 NBA Finals is at least a bit understandable, but it ended with the ultimate consequence of a torn Achilles. Harrison, on the other hand, was pushing for Davis to take the same risk to win a regular-season game in November.

The fact that Harrison was trying to get Davis to play against the Bucks despite the risk of him tearing his Achilles is a fireable offense in itself, and Mavericks fans should be thankful that the Mavericks' medical staff and Patrick Dumont stepped in and opposed the view to return.

Davis even wanted to return last Saturday night against the Washington Wizards, but once again, Dumont and the medical staff were against this. Harrison likely sided with Davis in his pleas to return to the hardwood in an effort to try to turn the season around, and things could've gotten even darker than they are now if Davis had played in either of these games and gotten reinjured.

The Mavericks would've gone from a 3-8 with some hope that they could turn things around once they get healthy to a team with a disastrous future, and the season would've been over in a split second. Being without Davis and Kyrie Irving for an extended period would've caused Dallas to sink further in the Western Conference, and there would've been no coming back from that.

If Harrison and Davis got their wish, and he played and tore his Achilles tendon, his career would've been ruined in the blink of an eye. Davis has already struggled to stay on the floor for nearly his entire career, and an Achilles tear would be devastating for him, especially for a nimble-footed big man.

On top of Davis being out for the remainder of this season and part of next season, Dallas' potential route to trade him would be demolished. No one in the league would want to trade for a 32-year-old injury-prone big man that is set to make nearly $180 million over the next three seasons (this year included), and he'd quickly become a negative asset.

Harrison is gone now, but him pushing for Davis to play through a calf strain on the way out is absolutely sickening news for Mavericks fans to hear. These rumors being true wouldn't be surprising, as he tried to rush Luka Doncic back from the calf strain that he suffered on Christmas Day, and Dallas needs to be overwhelmingly cautious as they trek these waters without Harrison as the reckless captain.