Mavericks must cut key veteran ASAP to bolster playoff rotation before it's too late

After Kyrie Irving tore his ACL at the beginning of March against the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks fans' hope for the season plummeted. The only thing that fans were holding onto was Irving and Anthony Davis getting to pair up at the end of the season and gaining some momentum before the playoffs, but the possibility of that happening was wiped away when Irving went down, causing many fans to give up on the season.

Now, Davis is Dallas' only hope as the end of the regular season will be here in just over a week. The Mavericks have found a way to put themselves in a prime position to secure home-court advantage for the Play-In Tournament despite everything they have gone through, and regardless of the roster that Jason Kidd has for the play-in, they'll have a shot at making the playoffs.

Nico Harrison has some decisions to make when it comes to the roster construction for the playoffs, and one of the most obvious ones may be a hard pill to swallow, but it must be done.

Cutting Exum soon unlocks Dallas' most versatile playoff lineup

While the Mavericks have an open roster spot that they can utilize on April 10, they can also explore cutting Dante Exum to create an additional roster spot, helping them have more depth to have a better shot at escaping the Play-In Tournament. Exum is already likely out for the season with a hand injury, and considering that his contract expires after this season, it makes the most sense to cut him, regardless of whether they plan to bring him back for next season.

If the Mavs were to cut Exum, they'd have the ability to bring on two of their two-way players (who will be ineligible for playoffs since they're on two-way deals), such as Brandon Williams, Kessler Edwards, or Kai Jones. It seems probable that the two players they'll choose will be Williams and Edwards since they need guard depth badly and wing defense, and now that Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Anthony Davis are back in the lineup, it doesn't make much sense to keep Jones around even though he has been stellar in Dallas.

The Mavericks could also explore bringing on someone from outside the organization for the playoffs, like Dennis Smith Jr., as fans have been speculating about his potential return to Dallas ever since he was spotted in the tunnel after a game last week. Smith Jr.'s perimeter defense would be a major boost for the Mavs, and they could even consider bringing him back for next year if the fit is right. Dallas showed interest in Smith Jr. as recently as last summer, and considering that no NBA team signed him this season, he'd likely be thrilled to return to the association.

Regardless of Dallas' chances of making a deep playoff run, it makes the most sense to cut Exum as soon as they can to make room for an extra player to make the roster as strong as possible. Each of the aforementioned players would be a fantastic option, and the clock will be ticking for Harrison to make the correct decision shortly.