Mavericks' rumored Dante Exum reunion could backfire in the blink of an eye

As of Friday afternoon, the Dallas Mavericks finally made the long-awaited move of stretching and waiving Olivier-Maxence Prosper to create an open roster spot to finalize the re-signing of Dante Exum. Seeing a once hyped first-round selection leave for nothing in return is without a doubt a disappointment, but considering the Mavericks would have likely needed to attach a second-round pick in a salary dump-style trade for Prosper, waiving the 23-year-old makes the most sense.

With this in mind, the Mavericks are finally under the 15-man standard roster limit, which will allow them the ability to re-sign Exum whenever they'd like to make the move official. A reunion with Exum made the most sense for the Mavericks, considering their lack of defensive depth at the guard position and the fact that the Mavericks don't have many primary point-of-attack defenders, which Exum has proven he can do throughout his career.

While Exum's role with the Mavericks is easier to envision over Prosper's, where he would likely be overshadowed by players like Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg, the reality of Exum's time in Dallas is that it has been spent on the bench due to injuries. Just last season, Exum missed 62 games with a broken wrist and multiple other injuries, which is why his reunion with the Mavs may not be as sweet as fans realize.

Exum's past injuries should have been a clear red flag for Mavericks

Since joining the Mavericks in the 2023 offseason, Exum's career has been an uphill battle, following a brief stint overseas. Not only did Dallas give Exum his next shot at returning to the NBA, but his overall production in Dallas has exceeded the expectations that fans had for him when he first signed with the Mavs.

Although Exum has played solidly when he is on the floor, the reality of his situation since returning to the league is that he has battled with health. In two seasons, Exum has only combined for 75 games played in a Mavericks uniform, and when games mattered the most in the 2024 playoffs, he was quickly yanked out of Jason Kidd's playoff rotation.

There's no doubt that good health for a team is a major part of regular-season and eventually playoff success, which is why just signing the Australian veteran to a one-year minimum contract makes sense.

Since signing with the Mavericks, it was clear that Exum would not be a long-term fit in Dallas, and this could very well be his final season with the team. With this in mind, Exum may be more motivated than ever to stay on the floor for long periods of time and take advantage of his time on the floor when he is playing.

Exum has always been a solid defender throughout his career, and in Dallas, he will be tasked with defending at the point of attack. Alongside Max Christie, the two could form a deadly duo around the perimeter, while only needing to bring the ball up the floor on the offensive end.

Injuries will play a big part in Exum's availability, but even still, his role with the team is undefined. As currently constructed, the Mavericks already harbor a strong nine-man rotation, and unless Exum wows coaches and fans early in the season, it could be yet another season spent riding the bench.

There's no doubt that Exum is a better-fitted player for his needs compared to Prosper, which is why it made perfect sense to re-sign the Australian guard, but even still, Exum must maintain optimal health throughout this season.