The Dallas Mavericks headed into this NBA offseason with high hopes of being able to put some more talent around superstar Luka Doncic for the team to start living up to expectations in a highly competitive Western Conference.
Jason Kidd’s squad did take a step in the right direction to become more of a force to be reckoned with this summer by re-signing superstar guard Kyrie Irving to a three-year deal, but much more needed to get done to get ahead before next season.
Fortunately, Dallas was able to upgrade defensively, with the team bringing in forward Grant Williams from the Boston Celtics, which addresses a significant need for the franchise.
Along with the addition of Williams, the Mavericks have signed a former first-round draft pick in the form of guard Dante Exum, who inked a two-year deal with the team, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Dante Exum signed a two-year, $6.1M deal with the Mavs with the second season nonguaranteed. His $3M salary this season is a piece of the Mavs' midlevel exception.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 14, 2023
Coming into the NBA, the Australia product was expected to be an immediate game-changer for the team that drafted him back in 2014, with the Los Angeles Lakers hoping he’d fall in their laps that year.
Ultimately, Exum was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz but failed to make much of an impact or live up to the high expectations of a player taken that high in the draft.
Exum was given a second chance with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons but again failed to make an impression, leading to an uncertain future.
Dallas hopes another change of scenery may help unlock something for Exum as he’ll try to crack the rotation for the Mavericks and become a solid contributor.
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