Over the weekend, some news started circulating that made Dallas Mavericks fans doubt one of their key fan-favorite veterans' future with the team. Dante Exum is reportedly drawing interest from Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul of the EuroLeague this summer, but a recent report from an NBA insider just silenced the notion that Exum is definitely saying farewell to the NBA and heading overseas.
According to Marc Stein, Exum and the Mavericks have mutual interest (subscription required) in working out a new contract this summer, and it is believed that Exum's preference is to stay in the NBA. This wipes away the fear from fans who desperately wanted Exum back next season, as they still seem to value his ball handling off the bench, especially with Kyrie Irving expected to miss significant time with his ACL tear. Exum heading overseas after having such a remarkable NBA comeback over the past few years would be a controversial move to say the least, regardless of whether he signs with the Mavs or a different NBA team.
Over his two years in Dallas, Exum proved that he can be a reliable playmaker in the starting lineup or off the bench, as he started in 40 percent of his games as a Maverick thus far and became beloved by fans. He had several clutch moments during his first season with the team, but his injuries seemingly always haunted him.
Mavericks and Exum are interested in a reunion this summer
Exum has only played in 75 games over the last two seasons, and he only played in 20 games last season. A freak wrist injury from training camp, which occurred while dunking the ball, derailed the beginning of his season, and a hand injury during the final stretch of the season kept him out for a significant time as well.
His injury history throughout his career is well chronicled, as he has struggled to stay healthy for most of his NBA career, and now, Nico Harrison and the Mavericks have a choice to make.
They can either re-sign Exum to a team-friendly deal with the risk of him missing a large chunk of next season due to some sort of injury, or they can roll the dice and sign a guard in free agency or trade for someone.
While Exum has proven that he can provide what Dallas is looking for, ball handling and playmaking, while also having the ability to play point guard or shooting guard, the injury risk may be too glaring to overlook.
Especially with the injury luck they had last year.
The Mavericks dealt with as many injuries as they ever have last season, with Jason Kidd saying that he had never seen anything like it over his years as a coach or as a player. Instead of risking their backcourt room being more banged up than it already is to begin the season, signing or trading for a player who is known for staying healthy may be the safer option, and Harrison has a hard choice to make with Exum.
Exum has shown that he can run the show when needed or be a complementary option off the bench, but with Irving set to miss some time to begin the year, they can't beat around the bush and risk not having a full platoon to make up for his absence.
It remains to be seen just how strong Exum and the Mavericks' mutual interest in free agency is, and we'll have you covered with all the latest.