The Dallas Mavericks' offseason is off to a hot start, as less than a month after losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Memphis Grizzlies, they unexpectedly won the NBA Draft Lottery and the right to select Cooper Flagg in next month's draft. While winning the Flagg sweepstakes comes with plenty of positives, including a brand new championship timeline, the offseason comes with some major challenges as well.
Dallas is in a tough spot, as they have to find a Kyrie Irving replacement until he returns from his ACL tear at some point in 2026, and one of their top backcourt options who was on the squad last year may be heading elsewhere. According to Basketinside.com's Matteo Andreani, Dante Exum is drawing interest from Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul, the most recent champions of the EuroLeague.
Exum just finished up a two-year deal with Dallas, and he was a key member off the bench in both seasons. Now, he could be heading overseas if this interest from Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul ends up materializing enough to the point that he'd abandon his NBA comeback after just two years.
Dante Exum's Mavericks future just got a lot murkier
Before signing with the Mavericks, Exum played multiple seasons overseas, including runs with FC Barcelona and Partizan, in which he revived his career by becoming a reliable jump shooter after shooting just 30.5 percent from downtown during his first NBA stint, and his potential return to Dallas may be over before it even begins.
Last season for Dallas, Exum averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 0.6 steals per game while shooting 43.4 percent from downtown in 20 games. Exum's stellar 3-point shooting, versatility, and defense made him a staple of Jason Kidd's rotation once again (when he was healthy), but availability was a problem for the second straight season.
Exum only played in 75 games over his two seasons in Dallas, as he suffered a wrist injury before the season began and later suffered a hand injury. The Mavs could never rely on Exum to stay fully healthy, as freak injuries derailed his time with the team.
Now, they have a tough decision to make.
Will they sign him to a team-friendly deal to provide insurance behind Irving until he returns, or will they let him walk and sign with a different NBA team or potentially head to Europe?
Only time will tell, and regardless, the Mavericks must take their guard depth seriously. They must adequately replace Irving, and they can't leave him out to dry once he returns either.
Exum would be a great option for one of Irving's replacements, as he brings ball handling and playmaking (which Dallas is looking for) and has the intangibles to run the one or play next to Irving, but they can't expect Exum to be their big signing of the summer.
They must find a better option to become their starting point guard for the first half of the season, and while Exum could still provide great depth off the bench, he can't be their main backcourt addition of the offseason.
