The Dallas Mavericks have been ravaged by injuries this season, and now a veteran backcourt presence is the first to be ruled out for the season.
The Dallas Mavericks have announced that guard Dante Exum will undergo surgery on his right knee, forcing him to miss the entire 2025-26 season. Exum, who has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, has yet to play this season due to these complications.
Exum's health had been an oddity earlier this year ever since head coach Jason Kidd's apparent avoidance of sharing details of the injury and the eight-year veteran's inactivity since training camp.
Exum underwent knee surgery this summer, but was never cleared to practice. This news of a setback will now sit him down for the remainder of a season that has already plagued Dallas with injuries.
Kyrie Irving has yet to make his season debut as he rehabs from ACL surgery in March, and Anthony Davis has been sidelined for weeks with a calf strain. Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin and Ryan Nembhard have also missed time throughout Dallas' 4-12 campaign.
Exum signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract to stay in Dallas this offseason, but he would need to be waived in order to create an open roster spot. According to ESPN's front-office insider Bobby Marks, the Mavs would not be allowed to sign a player until Jan. 6 as they are hard capped at the salary cap second apron.
Last season, Exum averaged a career high in points per game (8.7) in his second season with the Mavericks. Since returning to the NBA from overseas and joining Dallas in 2023, Exum has averaged 8.0 points and 2.8 assists in 75 games.
The Mavericks will now rely on guards Brandon Williams and D'Angelo Russell to initiate the offense. Williams has earned most of the starting minutes since Kidd's decision to move No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg from point guard back to his natural wing position after a sluggish start to the year offensively. The Mavs, averaging 105.2 points per 100 possessions, currently rank dead last in the league in offensive rating.
In Dallas' 113-111 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, Russell came off the bench to lead the Mavs in scoring with 23 points and seven assists. Flagg was inactive on Wednesday, missing the first game of his career with an illness.
Irving's initial timetable for return was slated for no earlier than the All-Star break, but ESPN's Tim MacMahon has said he is "making great progress on the court." However, "his return this season is in question because of 'other reasons.'"
Davis played just nine games for the Mavericks last year after being dealt away from the Los Angeles Lakers in the February trade including Luka Doncic. This season, Davis played in the first five games but has been inactive for the team's last 11.