Dante Exum to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

Dallas Mavericks Guard Dante Exum will undergo season-ending knee surgery, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Read on for further details.

Dallas Mavericks’ Dante Exum Surgery

The Australian guard is arguably an injury-prone player for the Dallas Mavericks. Exum agreed to a one-year contract in July, which led him back to Dallas. He’s a connective passer and a reliable three-pointer shooter when left open.

In my opinion, the Australian guard’s one-year contract with the Mavericks was a waste of money. However, multiple sources have reported that the team has a larger trade in the works, so the team’s commitment level to him was likely a comfortable one.

Mavericks’ Outlook

The Mavericks’ decision to re-sign Exum on a minimum contract was initially good business. However, the Melbourne native’s injury-plagued last season recently repeated itself, which poses a problem for the Mavericks, an injury-plagued team until Kyrie Irving returns to the court at the very minimum.

The Mavericks’ ability to compete this season, a crucial campaign after the controversial Luka Doncic trade and the lucky No. 1 selection of Cooper Flagg, has been marred by injuries, illnesses, and inconsistencies. The Flagg era has officially begun, but an arguable issue is Head Coach Jason Kidd’s point guard experiment with the 18-year-old, who is a forward.

Final Thoughts

The Mavericks will likely rely on D’Angelo Russell in terms of point guard duties for the rest of the season. Russell, 29, has been a key backcourt weapon to fulfill the Mavericks’ needs for a stronger backcourt. The 29-year-old is arguably still in his prime, so we’ll see what happens and if he plays at NBA All-Star standards soon.