Dante Exum's road back to the NBA and his pathway to a role with Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks signed point guard Dante Exum on July 14th after spending the last two seasons overseas with EuroLeague clubs F.C Barcelona and Partizan NIS Belgrade. Exum has been the antithesis of consistency throughout his NBA career, but after recently agreeing to a contract with the Mavericks for the 2023-24 season, he's poised to attempt to revitalize his NBA career after two strong seasons overseas.

It's no secret that the Mavericks have experienced many woes in the draft department up until these past two off-seasons. However, Nico Harrison has shifted the impetus in regards to the Mavericks' willingness to get better via the draft versus strictly free agency these past two off-seasons.

Dante Exum's road back to the NBA and his pathway to a role with Mavericks

The Mavericks were riddled with off-season dysfunction and a reliance to improve via free agency instead of the draft in the post-2011 championship years, but even in the Donnie Nelson era of management in Dallas, the Mavericks continually showcased the ability to revitalize different role players' careers as well as the ability to find talent in the undrafted realm.

The Mavericks have yet another opportunity to do that here if they can shift the perception of the former fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Dante Exum. Exum has accrued bust labels for his inconsistency on offense that led him to sign overseas, but he could still be a serviceable contributor off the bench on a team that expects to be in the playoffs next year if the improvements he made overseas translate to the NBA along with his already haunting perimeter defense.

The Mavericks have a track record of being able to turn a player like Exum into a valuable role player, given the uncanny ability of the Mavericks' developmental staff to elevate different guys who weren't looked at as NBA players into valuable role players, seemingly ever since the Mavericks transitioned to the post-2011 championship era.

Just look across the board, assistant coaches dating as far back as the Rick Carlisle era in Dallas worked tirelessly to mold guys like DeJuan Blair, Al-Farouq Aminu, Dorian Finney-Smith, Yogi Ferrell, and Maxi Kleber into competent NBA players. All of whom were undrafted or on the fringe of their NBA career. Many of those guys didn't see nearly as much success once they left Dallas.

Mavericks' developmental coach God Shammgod and the rest of Jason Kidd's coaching staff certainly have their work cut out for them with a slew of rookies and two-way players poised to need lots of valuable time in the lab with them this upcoming season.

But barring just a few misses in recent years as far as player development goes, Shammgod and the rest of the coaching/training staff have proven enough for Mavericks' fans to instill their trust in them after assisting in the development of key role players such as Josh Green and Jaden Hardy thus far.

Dante Exum improved handily overseas and showed brief flashes of a valuable skillset in his NBA tenure

Despite only averaging 20.7 minutes per game in Liga ACB, EuroLeague, and ABA affairs throughout his tenure overseas versus top EuroLeague opponents, Exum looked very impressive playing for EuroLeague squads Barcelona and Partizan Mozzart Bet.

With Barcelona, Exum was relegated to more of a tertiary role, with veterans of the squad and former NBA players Nikola Mirotic and Nick Calathes being the spearheads of the organization. However, Exum still showcased his relentless perimeter defense, athleticism in transition, and the ability to attack defenders 1 on 1 and off closeouts throughout his lone season in Barcelona in 2021-22.

Exum was able to showcase his improved shooting with Partizan Mozzart Bet in 33 EuroLeague contests and 23 ABA contests this past 2022-23 season. In 56 total games with Partizan Mozzart Bet this past season, Exum shot 44.5 percent on three-point attempts, at a rate of 2.6 three-point attempts per game.

In EuroLeague contests specifically, Exum averaged 13.3 points per game in 33 games and took control for Partizan Mozzart Bet in the ABA league as their leading scorer. Exum flashed the ability to shoot over the top of screens off the bounce from beyond the arc, as well as improved consistency on spot-up threes this past season.

Exum still maintained his versatility in transition and looked good as a driver by showcasing a much more consistent finishing ability as well as better decision-making in his time overseas comparable to his time spent with the Jazz and Cavaliers.

You can see some of his athleticism on display in the open court as well as against defenders head-up in this clip of him throwing down some monstrous dunks in some of his best EuroLeague plays from this past season.

Dante Exum's route to carving out a role in Dallas won't be easy

Exum will need to translate his newfound consistency from the EuroLeague to the NBA level, as he was much more limited throughout his seven-year career on the Jazz and Cavaliers, where he averaged an underwhelming 5.2 points per game, 2.1 assists per game, and 1.8 rebounds per game in inconsistent minutes.

Poor decision-making and finishing in the half-court, an inability to improve his three-point shot, and injuries plagued Exum's first NBA run despite the dynamism he flashed as a former top 5 overall pick in 2014. He'll need to make a point of emphasis on improving his playmaking off the bounce still and be more aggressive on the glass, while still translating the aforementioned markers he's improved upon overseas.

Likely to have been at the forefront of Exum's signing was former Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey who is now one of the newest additions to the Mavericks front office, as of this past April.

With the addition of Lindsey, the Mavs now have someone who coveted Exum when he first came into the league in Utah and someone who can give insight into how the Mavericks should best utilize Exum this upcoming season.

Exum has a lot to prove to maintain his position at the NBA level after getting tagged as an inconsistent and injury-riddled role player in the league. He's already turned 28 years old as of a couple of weeks ago, but perhaps Dennis Lindsey has found a diamond in the rough that can help the Mavericks this upcoming season as Exum is poised to translate his prowess from the EuroLeague to the NBA level.

As a versatile on and off-ball defender who can guard one through three, as well as a force with the ball in his hands in open space, Exum will need to become a complimentary piece for the Mavericks next season by improving from distance at the NBA level and becoming more consistent on his drive attempts.

If he does though, the Mavericks will have yet another 6'5 point of attack defending Australian guard to pair with Kyrie and Luka on a team that will certainly welcome aggressive defense even if the offensive side is more theoretical than proven.

The Mavericks certainly will welcome a shot at Exum panning out, given it's a very low-risk, high-reward move. This move could potentially aid in problems of one-dimensionality from role players and defensive struggles last season that the Mavericks had, but Exum's route to playing time won't be easy. The Mavericks are guard-heavy right now, and he'll certainly need to be up for the challenge of earning his minutes.

Exum will play with fellow Maverick Josh Green in the FIBA World Cup this summer for the Australian National Team.

We'll have you covered with all of the news and rumors surrounding the Dallas Mavericks this summer, so stay tuned.