Although Dallas Mavericks veteran guard Dante Exum is reportedly being targeted by the Turkish team Fenerbahce, the Australian hooper is believed to prefer to remain in the NBA for the 2025-26 season, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
According to Stein, Exum and the Mavericks have mutual interest in trying to work out a new deal after he spent the past two years in Dallas. The Mavs will also hold early bird rights on Exum, who earned $3.15 million in the 2024-25 season.
Per Spotrac, this means Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams are the only other guards under contract for next season, as both Spencer Dinwiddie and Exum are free agents.
Exum, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, spent the first seven years of his professional career with the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, but he was unable to establish himself as a reliable rotation player.
He played in Europe for two seasons from 2021-23, then returned to the United States during the 2023 offseason. Injuries also hindered Exum’s development earlier in his career and have continued to impact his second NBA stint, limiting him to 75 total appearances across the past two seasons.
Dante Exum Has Been A Solid Addition For The Mavericks
Exum has proven to be an effective role player for the Mavericks when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting split of 51/47/76.
In 20 games (13 starts) with the Mavs this season, he averaged 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 18.6 minutes per contest while shooting 47.8% from the floor and 43.4% from 3-point range.
As Stein mentioned in his report, Dallas will be seeking backcourt help for next season with Kyrie Irving’s recovery from ACL surgery expected to run through the fall.
This could ultimately open the door for Exum’s return.
Having said that, Dallas might have to make a trade to create roster space.
The Mavericks currently have 10 players signed to guaranteed contracts for 2024-25, in addition to Irving and Dwight Powell holding player options.
Cooper Flagg is also expected to join the roster as the No. 1 pick in the draft.
