Dante Exum is set to return to Dallas after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Mavericks worth an undisclosed amount.
Exum is coming off a season in which he played a key role off the bench, finishing the 2024-25 season with averages of 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
Although Exum played in just 20 games last season, he became a key rotation piece for the Mavericks over the past two seasons after returning to the NBA from a brief stint overseas with FC Barcelona.
Over the past two seasons in Dallas, Exum has managed to put up an average of 8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across 75 total regular-season appearances.
While these are solid statistics for a player coming off the bench, the biggest improvement since joining the Mavericks has come with his shooting ability.
Exum shot 49.1% from behind the three-point line during the 2023-24 season and 43.4% last season, marking a significant improvement after failing to shoot above 35.1% during his first six seasons in the NBA.
The deal between Exum and the Mavericks comes days after Dallas also secured free agent guard D’Angelo Russell on a two-year, $13 million contract, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Exum reportedly considered moving on from the Mavericks to join two other championship contenders, but chose to stay in Dallas with the chance to split ball handling duties with Russell for the majority of the season while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL, according to ESPN.
While retaining Exum will provide the Mavericks with more ball handling, which has become the biggest weakness for the team entering next season, it also puts the Mavericks above the maximum number of players allowed.
NBA teams are allowed to roster a total of 15 players throughout the regular season. The Mavericks currently have 16 players on the roster, with the addition of Russell and the re-signing of Exum.
As a result, the team will be forced to either trade or release one player to meet the league’s requirements.
Likely candidates for the Mavericks to move on from include Olivier-Maxence Prosper or Jaden Hardy, who are each promising prospects but are unlikely to make significant contributions in the coming season.
Luckily, Dallas has time to make this decision in the coming weeks, meaning the team can evaluate the best option and potentially work out a trade to receive compensation for one of these players.