The Dallas Mavericks' 2025 offseason is going to be one of the most crucial offseasons for the team in recent memory, as Nico Harrison has to find a way to make them contenders once again, like they were last season. Harrison decided to shake up the entire roster less than one year after the Mavs made the 2024 NBA Finals at this year's trade deadline by trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, and Quentin Grimes, and it has not worked out for them thus far.
While a large part of their failure can be blamed on injuries, such as Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL and Anthony Davis straining his adductor in his Mavericks debut, it can also be blamed on roster construction. Dallas doesn't have enough shot creation, shooting, or guard depth to be a true contender despite having elite frontcourt depth, and Harrison must address these areas of need this offseason.
The Mavs don't have tons of cap space to spend right now, but they do have a couple of players who are entering free agency that they have to decide if they want to bring back or not. Among potential free agents are Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Dwight Powell (player option), and Kyrie Irving (player option), and one player stands out among the rest when it comes to who Dallas must be cautious about re-signing to another contract.
Dante Exum's injury history is too sketchy to bet on
Despite Exum's excellent 3-point shooting, strong defense, and ability to run the offense, he is someone who the Mavs likely shouldn't bring back this summer. Exum was great in Dallas when he was on the floor and healthy, but injuries once again became a problem for him. Considering how bad the Mavs' injury problem was last year from October all the way to April, they'd be doubling down on disaster if they brought him back.
With Irving set to miss multiple months next season, their backcourt is going to need to be the most healthy position group on the roster, and they can't risk bringing back Exum due to the fact that he will likely miss significant time at some point or another. Over the two seasons he played in Dallas, Exum played in 75 games. He only played in 20 games last year, and he got hurt before the season even began.
Exum suffered a wrist injury in training camp when trying to dunk, and he injured his hand a month and a half after returning from the wrist injury. He ended up missing more time than he played over the last two years, and it's time to move on to someone who is reliable and has a good injury history.
Exum's injury history was known when the Mavericks signed him two summers ago, and with his contract expiring, now me the optimal time to part ways. The Mavericks can sign someone whom they know they can rely on to stay healthy to help weather the storm, while Exum can sign elsewhere and write the next chapter of his promising NBA comeback.
