This NBA season hasn’t gone anything like what the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks expected. The Clippers made the bold move to pair aging shooting guard Bradley Beal with current leaders Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in the offseason.

The Dallas Mavericks left the door open for Anthony Davis' return against the Clippers on Friday night before deciding.

The Dallas Mavericks host the LA Clippers in a crucial NBA Cup group stage matchup on Friday night, with both teams desperate to stop their early-season slides.

The Dallas Mavericks have afforded Anthony Davis a luxury that they apparently never gave to Luka Dončić during his tenure with the club.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Lakers had their own dissatisfaction with Anthony Davis even before the deal was finalized.

The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard (right ankle sprain) and Bradley Beal (left hip fracture). Beal is set for season-ending surgery, while Leonard has only played in six games this year, which doesn't help all of the accusations about the Clippers navigating around the salary cap to give Leonard more money through that Aspiration company.

Teams may also someday have interest in Kyrie Irving, but until he and Davis are back on the court nothing happens.

More sad evidence has emerged on the far higher value fired Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison had on Anthony