The Dallas Mavericks announced on Nov. 20 that guard Dante Exum will undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee, shelving the 30-year-old before he could make his first appearance of the 2025-26 campaign.
According to the club, Exum continued to experience complications from an offseason procedure on the same knee, and medical staff determined that an additional operation is required. He had not played in any preseason or regular-season games this fall.
Injuries have repeatedly interrupted Exum’s career. The No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft appeared in all 82 games as a rookie but missed the entire 2015-16 season with a torn ACL and has since dealt with shoulder, ankle and knee problems. After two years in Europe (2021-23), he rejoined the NBA in 2023 and has been with Dallas since then.
When available, Exum has been an efficient reserve for the Mavericks, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 47.2 percent from three-point range. Nevertheless, he has logged only 75 games since the start of 2023-24, including 20 last season because of right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.
The move places additional roster and cap pressure on Dallas. As noted by Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, the Mavericks did not disclose Exum’s offseason knee procedure until now and had stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s $3 million guaranteed salary to stay below the hard cap when re-signing Exum to a guaranteed minimum deal. Waiving Exum would open a roster spot, but the team still would not have enough room under the cap to add a replacement until January without another cost-cutting transaction. Keeping him on the roster could make Dallas eligible for a disabled player exception worth half of Exum’s salary, though that figure would be limited in practical use.
Exum’s surgery date and recovery timetable were not disclosed.
Source: Hoops Rumors
