Mavericks on verge of bringing back beloved face fans feared was gone for good

The Dallas Mavericks' offseason seemed over after they signed D'Angelo Russell to a two-year deal on the opening night of free agency, as their roster officially reached 15 players on standard deals following this signing, but another move is in the works that fans may have completely forgotten about or overlooked.

Back at the beginning of July, it was reported that Dallas would sign Dante Exum to a one-year deal to remain one of the Mavs' best point guards off the bench, but since the move hasn't been made official yet, fans may have thought that Exum wasn't coming back or just assumed that he was heading elsewhere.

Despite interest elsewhere, including overseas and from other contenders, the Mavericks were able to convince Exum to play a third season in Dallas, and his return, quite frankly, didn't seem like a major possibility after the 2024-25 season he had.

Dante Exum will retturn to Dallas despite injury-plagued 2024-25 season

When Exum was on the floor for Dallas, he was great, as always.

He averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 0.6 steals per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from downtown. Exum is an absolute sharpshooter off the catch, as his transformation as a 3-point shooter has helped him stick in the NBA following a stint overseas a few years ago.

On top of his strong shooting, his point guard skills and steady hand to run the show have also been needed in Dallas, as he has proven that he can play on or off the ball and play multiple positions while playing fierce perimeter defense on the other end. He can play any role, from point guard to 3-and-D wing, but his main weakness has always held him back, and that was especially true last season.

Injuries.

Exum only played in 20 games last season, as he suffered a wrist injury during training camp while attempting a dunk. This was a major loss for Dallas, as he had only played in 55 games in the season prior, and they needed him on the floor to begin the year.

Exum ended up returning at the end of January, but he didn't stay on the court long as he fractured a bone in his hand, causing him to be out until the end of the regular season. Exum's injuries were only part of the problem last season, as seemingly every other player on the roster missed significant time as well, but it didn't seem like Dallas would bring him back for this reason.

Kyrie Irving is already set to miss at least the first half of the season with an ACL tear, and entering the offseason, it seemed most likely that the Mavs would sign players who are known for their availability, and Exum does not fit this mold. It was known that the Mavs and Exum had mutual interest in one another early into free agency, but bringing him back seemed like too big a risk since he only played in 75 games over his first two seasons in Dallas.

Regardless of the risk that came along with it, the Mavs elected to sign Exum to a one-year deal, according to early reports from the beginning of free agency, and all fans are waiting for is some sort of trade to make room for him. Ever since Exum was signed, it has been known that Olivier-Maxence Prosper could be a player who may get moved to create an additional roster spot for Exum, and any Mavs fan who feared that Exum would be signing elsewhere this summer can take a major sigh of relief.