The Dallas Mavericks’ guard depth will be tested in the first part of the season following a new report that Dante Exum will be out for three months due to wrist surgery.
Last week the Mavericks announced Exum’s wrist injury during training camp, and on Wednesday they confirmed that he underwent surgery on Tuesday. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the surgery will sideline Exum for about three months.
That timeline would have Exum out almost half the season, until early January.
Exum played his way into the Mavericks rotation last year, averaging 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 19.8 minutes a night in 55 games. Just as he was being pushed into the starting five last January, Exum suffered a plantar injury that sidelined him for months. He returned for the playoffs, and while he got into 21 games during the team’s march to the NBA Finals he played a smaller role.
Exum being out means expect more running for Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy off the Dallas bench (behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the obvious starters). Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes will also likely get some run at the two guard spot.
Injuries have piled up for the Mavericks this preseason, though the others are less severe. Doncic was out with a calf contusion, while PJ Washington Jr. (left hip strain) and Maxi Kleber (left ankle sprain) both missed the team’s last preseason game with more minor injuries.
