Ranking Dallas Mavericks contracts from bargain to nightmare

13. Dante Exum

When the Dallas Mavericks signed Dante Exum over the summer, no one knew what to expect.

Exum had been out of the NBA for multiple seasons, and when he was in the NBA he was an average point guard who can never stay healthy. Those who doubted Dallas' signing of Exum are looking foolish now, and he has quickly become one of the most important players for the team off the bench.

This season for Dallas, Exum is averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from downtown. These shooting numbers are almost unheard of for a point guard, and the revolution of his 3-point shot overseas has helped his player development tremendously.

Exum is in year one of a two-year, $6.2 million deal with Dallas, and next year the money is not fully guaranteed. If everyone in the NBA knew how great he would be for Dallas, everyone would have been pursuing him on the open market.

Exum most recently showed his high value as a closer in Dallas' clutch win over the Miami Heat last week. He finished with 13 points in this game, hit several big shots down the stretch, and went perfect from the free-throw line.

Exum's value to Dallas is undeniable, and keeping him healthy over the next month is essential for the Mavs.