Mavericks' shocking injury twist saves beloved veteran from getting brutally cut

The day is finally here.

Later tonight, the Dallas Mavericks will battle the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since Nico Harrison decided to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. This game is bound to be filled with emotions from both sides, and Mavs fans are going to be fired up to see Doncic back in the American Airlines Center.

The Lakers enter tonight's game coming off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road last night, while Dallas has had three days of rest ahead of this pivotal throwdown. It also helps the Mavericks' case that their centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, returned to the lineup recently, and by the sound of things, the Mavs could end up having more reinforcements than expected against Los Angeles.

Mavericks veteran unexpectedly just saved himself from getting cut

Dante Exum is shockingly listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Lakers, and this comes just over three weeks after he broke a bone in his left hand against the Houston Rockets. All signs were pointing to Exum being out for the season, but this injury designation shows that he is likely going to come back, and likely soon.

Exum being listed as questionable right off the bat is a good sign, as Dallas typically lists players as doubtful during their rehab process (and they don't play for a game or two) before upgrading them to questionable and them making their return. He was initially set to be reevaluated on Friday, and fans may be getting the gift of an early return against the Lakers.

Exum returning to the floor couldn't have come at a better time for him, as he was someone in danger of getting cut if Dallas wanted to create an extra roster spot for the playoffs. If he wouldn't have been able to return this season, cutting him would have been a no-brainer to give them the best odds of having the best depth posssible, and now he'll have the chance to prove to Nico Harrison that he deserves to stick around for the rest of the season, and potentially beyond (if Dallas decides to re-sign him this summer).

Exum healing from his hand injury faster than expected, along with the team planning to sign Brandon Williams to a standard contract should give the Mavs' backcourt a major boost (which they needed badly), and the Mavs could end up being fully healthy (outside of Kyrie Irving, Jaden Hardy, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper) for tonight's game. Things have been going better for the Mavericks in the health department over the last few weeks, considering the chaos they went through earlier this season, and Exum's early return from injury is a testament to that.

Exum should have the chance to play significant minutes right away (if he returns tonight) since he and Spencer Dinwiddie will be the only two point guards available to play, and the Mavericks have missed Exum's 3-point shooting, playmaking, and defense.

This season for Dallas, Exum has averaged a career-high 9.1 points per game while shooting 44.7 percent from downtown, and these next few regular-season games and potential playoff games will be a great opportunity for him to earn some money for himself this offseason and show what he is capable of as he will become a free agent at the end of this season.