Nico Harrison's next Mavericks gamble is unavoidable, and there's no way to win

The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of the most heartbreaking season in franchise history, and things continue to get worse as the end of the season quickly approaches.

Things have been rough ever since Nico Harrison made the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, and they truly can't catch a break on and off the floor. Since the Doncic trade, the Mavericks have lost multiple players to season-ending injuries (Kyrie Irving, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and potentially Daniel Gafford), and this list got even longer on Friday night during a game against the Houston Rockets.

Dante Exum broke a bone in his left hand in this game, and he will likely miss the rest of the regular season. Exum had been Dallas' starting point guard recently, and Harrison is facing a risky gamble with Exum's future that will be here before we know it.

Nico Harrison has an impossible decision to make with Dante Exum

Exum is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Harrison has an extremely tough decision to make that only has two options. Harrison can either let Exum walk and sign elsewhere or bring him back, and both options could lead to major consequences for Dallas.

On one hand, bringing Exum back should be a no-brainer due to how productive he has been over the last two seasons as he revived his career, but on the other hand, his injuries remain a major problem as he can't stay on the floor.

Exum only played in 73 games over the last two seasons in Dallas, and his random injuries are a major red flag. Availability is the best ability for someone like him, and the Mavericks can't rely on him to stay healthy for an entire season. Dallas is going to need a stopgap point guard until Irving returns from his ACL tear next season, and while Exum has been solid in that role recently, his newest injury may be the nail in the coffin on his quick Mavericks career.

Jason Kidd can't depend on him to stay healthy for an extended period of time, and that's a major problem with all things considered heading into next season. They need someone who is going to be reliable for that time without Irving, and not bringing him back may be the safest plan.

While on the surface, Harrison not re-signing Exum seems like the safest move, this comes with the risk that he is able to stay healthy next season and takes another leap in his career. Exum is still just 29 years old, and he has made it clear that he takes his craft seriously as he considerably improved as a finisher this season for the Mavericks. While he was out due to the right wrist injury for the first three months of the season, Exum worked hard with his left hand, and it definitely paid off.

His 3-point shooting has also become a staple of his game, as he shot 47.7 percent from three over the last two seasons in Dallas. This was a massive improvement from his shooting from his journey in the NBA before his time with the Mavericks, as he shot 30.7 percent from three from 2014 until 2021.

His focus on this part of his game while overseas before signing with the Mavericks has turned him into a high-level role player, and both sides of Harrison's Exum coin could bring unavoidable consequences. If they re-sign him, they'd be risking him being unreliable due to injuries, and their guard depth could quickly become a major problem again. If they don't re-sign him, they'd lose another player from their NBA Finals team who is a perfect fit in Dallas and plays hard on both ends of the floor. They could also likely retain him on a team-friendly deal, and having cost-controlled players who play big roles is vital to success in today's NBA.

This summer is going to be filled with big decisions for Harrison, and time will tell if Exum is part of his vision for Dallas' future. There is no safe bet here, and whether he stays or goes, Mavericks fans can only hope the gamble pays off.