Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum sustained an injury to his right wrist during training camp, the team announced on Friday, and The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that treatment options are being evaluated with surgery a possibility.
This is a tough hit for the Mavericks and especially for Exum, who revived his NBA career last season following two years playing overseas.
The numbers don’t look like much: 7.8 points per game to go with a few assists and rebounds in just under 20 minutes per night, but Exum has established himself as a reliable, two-way reserve who suddenly had to be respected as a shooter.
Exum shot 49% from 3-point range on over 100 attempts and carded a sort of insane 64.5 true-shooting percentage. His playing time and production dropped considerably in the postseason, but he still had some impactful moments. His defense and speed are constants.
Dallas should be able to weather his absence with Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy all able to fill minutes at shooting guard behind Kyrie Irving, and Irving able to run second units while Luka Doncic rests.
Exum is not a make-or-break player, but he can be a valuable innings eater in the regular season and the Mavericks will want to get him back as soon as possible.
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