Mavericks Injury Update: Dante Exum Suffers Major Setback Ahead of Season Opener, Putting Dallas’ Plans in Jeopardy

Dallas has yet to take to court and they are already down a key reserve piece – Dante Exum. It was only just two days ago that the Mavs announced Luka Doncic suffered a left calf contusion and missed a practice. Although the Mavs superstar seems to be on schedule for the season opener, the same cannot be said of Exum.

Shams Charania of The Athletic dropped the details of the injury sustained by the Mavs guard. “Dallas Mavericks G Dante Exum has sustained a serious right wrist injury that could require surgery, sources tell @TheAthletic . Treatment options are being evaluated for Exum, who emerged as a key reserve guard on Mavs NBA Finals run last season. Tough early season blow for Mavs.“

We are all quite aware of the luck the 29-year-old has when it comes to injuries. After his rookie season playing 82 games, Exum missed the entire 2015-16 season due to an ACL tear in his left knee which he suffered while playing for Australia in Slovenia. But it was only the beginning of what would be a series of injuries.

In October 2017, Dante would undergo a shoulder surgery, following which was an ankle sprain (Jan. 2019) that put him out of commission for a few weeks. The poor guy developed a bone bruise from the ankle sprain, leading to a 25-game absence. If you thought that all would be well now, think again. In the midst of all the Embiids and Kawhis, Dante Exum is an island of his own when it comes to injuries.

Four days after his return, the Australian suffered a partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee, ruling him out indefinitely. Exum was the Jazz’s No. 5 pick in 2014, and while he did do his part in his first year (41 starts out of the 82-game), Utah’s plans of building a win-now team back in 2019 didn’t exactly work with a key player always in the injury report. Hence, the Jordan Clarkson trade, which saw Dante Exum move to Cleveland in December of the same year.

But nothing stuck. Prior to the 2023-24 season, Exum spent two years overseas, playing for FC Barcelona and then Partizan NIS Belgrade, before Dallas signed him, making his triumphant return to the NBA.

Will Dante Exum’s injury adversely affect the Dallas Mavericks?

Unsurprisingly, the 2x gold medalist played the best basketball in his career with the Mavs. Yes, his 55 games were the most he played in the league since 2016-17, but when he did take the court, Dante Exum was a force to reckon with. And thanks to his hard work, the ABA League Champion earned his place in Dallas’ rotation.

He averaged career highs of 7.8 points, shooting 53.3% from the field, and 49.1% from downtown, all in 19.8 minutes of game time – the most floor time Exum saw since his rookie season. His defensive versatility was always there. But the welcome surprise was his three-point shooting (as you can see above), including clutch shots vs the Kings and Rockets.

While it would have been great to have him ready to play (the guy can play one through to three positions), the Mavs do have enough depth to cover his absence. Players like Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Naji Marshall, and more could see more minutes off the bench to start the season.

Anyway, stay tuned to get updates as they come.