Mavericks' riskiest free agency bet brutally implodes before even playing a game

Dante Exum may have already played his final game as a Dallas Maverick, and it's not even Christmas yet. What was once expected to be a pivotal year for the nine-year veteran has turned into a disaster in the blink of an eye, and he may end up being known for what he took from the Mavericks rather than what he gave them.

When Exum has been on the floor in Dallas, he has been excellent. Over his first two seasons with the team, he averaged 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from long range. He was the perfect point guard-wing hybrid that the Mavs needed, as he could play alongside Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving, or lead the offense himself, but injuries derailed his time in Big D.

He played just 75 games over his first two seasons in Dallas, and his third season with the team will end with him not even suiting up for a single game. Exum has already been ruled out for the year due to needing knee surgery, and he likely won't get to play another game in Mavericks blue.

Dante Exum's time with the Mavericks is effectively over

The Mavs knew the risk that came along with re-signing Exum, as he was extremely injury-prone during his first two seasons with the team, but they decided to gamble and give him another chance. Dallas only made two free agency moves this summer, bringing back Exum and signing D'Angelo Russell, and neither move has worked out in the Mavs' favor.

The Mavericks were playing with fire the second that Exum put ink to paper on another contract, and it immediately blew up in their face. He underwent offseason knee surgery, and knowing this, Dallas still brought him back with the hope that he could recover and be a key piece in the rotation again.

The Mavericks needed him to play a key role, as Kyrie Irving was set to miss a major chunk of the season due to a torn ACL, and they seemed to believe that Exum would help address their point guard dilemma. Dallas was going to need complete participation from everyone to hold them over as Irving rehabs, but Exum's singular offseason surgery turned into much more.

It was then announced that he needed a second surgery due to some complications that were caused by the first surgery, and the Mavericks clearly didn't learn their lesson from last season. Dallas missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, largely due to the team being so battered by various injuries, and the same thing has happened this season.

The injury bug is buzzing around their heads once again, and Exum being shut down for the rest of the year is a telltale sign that he won't be coming back next season. They need to start fresh, especially since he didn't get to touch the floor this season, and his time in Dallas will unfortunately always be defined by injuries.

The good moments, like Exum becoming a monster in the clutch and quietly being the best catch-and-shoot shooter on the team, will eventually fade away, and he'll be known for the time he missed rather than the time he provided. He was able to turn his career around in Dallas, and Mavericks fans will always be thankful for what he provided en route to the 2024 NBA Finals, but it seems like he has already played his final game with the team.

Dallas is already looking to convert Ryan Nembhard's two-way to a standard deal, meaning that someone will need to get cut, and Exum's status for the remainder of the season makes him the obvious first candidate to be on the chopping block.