Dirk Nowitzki is undoubtedly the most accomplished and greatest player in Dallas Mavericks history, but the franchise legend is reportedly more distant from the Mavs now than possibly ever before.

While trading Luka Doncic, Nowitzki's former teammate, to the Los Angeles Lakers likely did not help matters, there was another moment more than a year and a half ago that widened the rift between Nowitzki and the only team for whom he ever played.

“As also covered by @TheSteinLine in this April 7 piece before Dončić played his first game in Dallas as a Laker, Casey Smith's ouster before the 2023-24 season has contributed to the distance between Nowitzki and the franchise over the past two seasons,” NBA insider Marc Stein posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Smith served as the Mavericks' head athletic trainer for nearly 20 years and added the title of director of player health and performance later in his tenure. However, as part of an overhaul reportedly centered around replacing Doncic allies on the team's medical staff, Dallas fired Smith, along with strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Holsopple and massage therapist Casey Spangler.

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Since trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, the Mavericks have faced criticism from all angles, and it appeared that Nowitzki, who played his 21st and final NBA season with Doncic, disagreed with the deal, too. Nowitzki notably attended Doncic's first game with the Lakers to show support for his former teammate, and recently, Harrison made a comment specifically naming the former MVP.

“My obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks, it's what's the best interest of the Dallas Mavericks, and that's the most important thing,” Harrison said during a media session earlier in the week. “Some of those decisions are going to be unpopular, maybe to Dirk and maybe to the fans, but my obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks.”

The comment drew its fair share of criticism, considering Nowitzki played his entire NBA career in Dallas and, despite the mountain of negativity around the deal, has remained relatively professional when asked for his genuine thoughts on the trade.

Dallas lost its final opportunity to make it into the playoffs last night; the Mavericks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In, knocking them out of postseason contention a year after reaching the NBA Finals.