Wizards Waive Dante Exum
The Wizards have placed veteran guard Dante Exum on waivers, the team announced today (via Twitter). Exum was one of the four players Washington acquired from Dallas in the Anthony Davis blockbuster ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
The move had been anticipated, since Exum underwent season-ending surgery on his right knee in December. He didn’t play at all in 2025/26 due to complications related to an offseason procedure on that knee, which required follow-up surgery.
It was the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited Exum’s availability over the course of his professional career. After playing all 82 games as a rookie, the former fifth overall pick missed his entire second NBA season in 2015/16 due to a torn ACL, then was plagued by shoulder, ankle, and knee issues in subsequent years.
Exum rebuilt his value by playing in Europe from 2021-23 before returning stateside during the 2023 offseason on a deal with Dallas. The 30-year-old Australian was a very effective role player for the Mavs when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.472/.768. However, he has made just 75 appearances since the start of the 2023/24 season, including just 20 in ’24/25 due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.
The Wizards will continue to carry Exum’s $2,296,274 cap hit on their books after he clears waivers, but they’ll open up a spot on their 15-man roster as a result of the move. They currently have 13 players on full standard contracts, with Keshon Gilbert occupying their 14th roster slot on a 10-day contract.
Mavericks Send Anthony Davis To Wizards In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The trade has been finalized, the Mavericks and Wizards announced. It was officially completed as a three-team deal, with the Hornets receiving Malaki Branham and the Mavs receiving Tyus Jones. Charlotte confirmed its part of the trade in a press release.
“Anthony Davis is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, and we are thrilled to have him in Washington,” said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins. “Anthony’s championship experience and defensive pedigree bring a new level of opportunity and excitement to this franchise.”
February 4: The Mavericks are trading big man Anthony Davis to the Wizards, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum will also head to Washington in the deal.
In return, the Mavericks will receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-rounders, sources tell Charania.
Those first-rounders will be a “least favorable” 2026 pick that will almost certainly be the Thunder’s, plus the Warriors’ top-20 protected 2030 pick, per Charania. The second-rounders are Phoenix’s 2026 pick, Chicago’s 2027 pick, and Houston’s 2029 selection.
Davis had been on the trade block in Dallas for much of the season, but there was some doubt about whether a deal would materialize after he suffered a hand injury expected to sideline him for at least most of February, if not beyond that. Rumored suitors like Atlanta and Toronto appeared to back off to some extent, opening the door for a surprise team like the Wizards to make a deal.
While Washington is an unlikely landing spot for a veteran star like Davis, the 13-36 Wizards are clearly pivoting toward being competitive next season, having acquired four-time All-Star Trae Young from Atlanta last month and now pairing him with a 10-time All-Star in Davis.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Wizards would ideally like to use second-year big man Alex Sarr as a “super-sized” and “switchable” power forward and had been seeking another impact frontcourt player to use alongside him. Washington explored a possible deal for Kings center Domantas Sabonis and had considered making a run at Jazz center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency before pulling the trigger on a trade for Davis, Fischer says.
As they did with Young, the Wizards are buying low on Davis amid an injury-plagued season in which he has dealt with several separate health issues and has been limited to 20 appearances. Although the draft-pick haul they’re giving up for AD looks substantial at first glance, the 2026 first-rounder will likely end up at No. 30, while the 2030 selection will turn into a ’30 second-rounder if it lands in the top 20.
Like Young, who has yet to make his Wizards debut as he rests a knee injury, Davis appears unlikely to play much – if at all – during the second half of this season. Washington will owe its 2026 first-round pick to New York if it lands outside the top eight, so the club will likely do all it can to avoid that scenario. Resting its veteran stars should help that cause.
Despite the modest value of the first-round picks changing hands, the Wizards’ package likely appealed to Dallas due to the financial flexibility it will afford the team going forward. Besides moving off Davis’ maximum-salary contract, which will pay him $58.5MM in 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28, the Mavs will remove Hardy’s $6MM guaranteed salary and Russell’s $6MM player option for ’26/27 from their books.
Besides giving the Mavericks more cap flexibility going forward, the deal will also generate considerable short-term savings, with the Wizards taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line to take on more than $24MM in 2025/26 salary. Dallas had been operating right up against the second tax apron but will move all the way out of apron and tax territory with this move, resulting in $57MM in savings, tweets cap expert Yossi Gozlan.
Most importantly, the trade lines up the Mavs to begin building around star rookie Cooper Flagg. Dallas will have a pair of first-round picks in a strong 2026 draft, including their own selection which is on track to be a lottery pick. And the team has a much cleaner cap sheet to work with moving forward, even with long-term deals for role players like P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford still on the books.
Still, the return for Davis stands in stark contrast to what they gave up to get him just one year ago. Under former head of basketball operations Nico Harrison, the 32-year-old was the centerpiece of the package the Mavs received for franchise player Luka Doncic. Since making that deal, the franchise has parted ways with Harrison and now done the same with Davis, conceding that it made a major mistake at the 2025 deadline.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Flagg, Davis Trade, Kidd
The decision to trade Anthony Davis may seem like the start of a youth movement, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to part with Kyrie Irving, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Afseth that the front office sees “long-term potential” in pairing Irving with rookie sensation Cooper Flagg and they’ll be the foundation to build the roster around.
Afseth hears from league sources that Flagg’s ability to handle the ball and make early reads on offense is living up to the team’s expectations heading into the draft. Some members of the organization consider him to be the team’s best passer as well as its top scorer.
Irving has been sidelined since last March with an ACL tear, so the Mavericks haven’t gotten to seen him and Flagg on the court together yet. Coach Jason Kidd said recently that the team’s disappointing record won’t affect its plans to bring back Irving this season, and there appears to be progress on that front.
Sources tell Afseth that Irving has been conducting regular skill work with assistant coach Phil Handy and has taken part in one-on-one games against members of the Mavs’ coaching and player-development staff. Afseth, who has stated in the past that Irving is expected to be physically capable of returning to action sometime after the All-Star break, watched him play recently and reports that he looked “sharp” in the workouts, creating space on his jumper, attacking the basket with his dribble and finishing drives as well as ever.
There’s more from Dallas:
- Parting with Davis’ contract — and his uncertain future due to frequent injuries — was necessary to start building a winning roster around Flagg, Christian Clark of The Athletic and Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) state in separate stories. Clark notes that the deal drops the Mavericks’ salary from near-second apron territory at $207.8MM to below the tax threshold at $187.9MM while helping to replenish their depleted draft stock. Curtis points out that the three players sent to Washington along with Davis — Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum — weren’t able to provide effective point guard play with Irving sidelined and were surpassed in the rotation by Brandon Williams and two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard, who may receive a standard contract later this month.
- Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News offers enthusiastic support for the trade and says whoever is responsible for putting it together should be named the full-time general manager. Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been sharing GM duties since Nico Harrison was fired in November.
- The Mavericks had four demands in Davis trade talks — draft assets, clearing long-term salary, roster flexibility and the ability to build for the future around Flagg — and the Wizards were able to meet them all, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. The Mavs weren’t determined to move Davis ahead of the deadline, sources tell Katz, but they recognized that his expected extension demands this summer will be higher than they wanted to pay.
- Kidd responded to the $35K fine he received for a profanity-filled tirade following Saturday’s loss at Houston, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Kidd was upset at the officials for not calling a foul on a Flagg shot attempt late in the game and at reporters for questioning his use of Flagg at point guard early in the season. “I take full responsibility for that, for my actions, for my fine,” Kidd stated, “but I said what I had to say.”
Stein’s Latest: Morant, Young, Knicks, Gafford, More
Ja Morant has become the name to watch in NBA trade circles following reports that the Grizzlies were open to listening to offers for their star point guard.
In his latest article for The Stein Line (Substack link), Marc Stein notes that, due to their reported interest in trade targets like Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis, there is a belief around the league that the Raptors may be facing internal win-now pressure, which could lead to them making a play for Morant.
Stein also states that, despite rumors that the Kings aren’t looking to making a move for the oft-injured point guard, he has heard rumors that Sacramento’s interest in Morant could be piqued if the Grizzlies would consider a return built around DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, and draft assets.
Carter was the 13th pick in the 2024 draft but has struggled to carve out a role with the Kings, averaging just 8.4 minutes this season.
Morant has played 18 games this season and is averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists on .401/.208/.900 shooting splits.
We have more from Stein’s latest newsletter:
- One of the lingering questions following the Wizards‘ trade for Young is whether Washington will extend its newly acquired guard. Stein, who notes that the Hawks’ refusal to extend Young was one of the impetuses that led to their separation, says there are rumblings that the four-time All-Star will ultimately land a two-year extension. With Young widely expected to see little to no action during the second half, Stein notes that the Wizards will likely to point to Toronto’s handling of Brandon Ingram last year as a precedent if the league takes issue with their new point guard sitting out. Ingram didn’t suit up for the Raptors last season, with the team citing an ankle injury.
- The Knicks have struggled to regain their footing after claiming the NBA Cup, winning just one of their last six games. While it’s unlikely that they’ll part with any of their core players, Stein writes that Guerschon Yabusele and second-year wing Pacome Dadiet are both available as New York attempts to tinker around their margins. Yabusele, after a breakout return to the NBA with the Sixers last season, has struggled to find a rhythm or role in coach Mike Brown‘s system, leading to him being in and out of the rotation. Dadiet, the 25th pick in the 2024 draft, has seemingly been overtaken in the rotation by youngsters like Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr., having played just 44 minutes in 14 games.
- While the Hawks‘ interest in Davis is well-documented, Stein writes that they also have some level of interest in another Mavericks big man: Daniel Gafford. Gafford offers less upside than Davis, but such a deal would help the Hawks keep Zaccharie Risacher out of trade talks. Stein adds that the Pacers and Celtics are also interested in pursuing the 27-year-old center.
- Spencer Dinwiddie is now eligible to sign with an NBA team after parting ways with Bayern Munich, but Stein reports that he could need some time to deal with the personal matters that led to his leaving the EuroLeague club.
- According to Stein, the Mavericks are holding off on waiving Dante Exum to open up a roster spot to promote Ryan Nembhard because they hope they can use Exum’s $3.3MM salary in a trade instead. Decisions on converting two-way players like Spencer Jones (Nuggets), Daniss Jenkins (Pistons), and Pat Spencer (Warriors) will likely all happen after the trade deadline for similar reasons, especially since those players won’t reach their active game limits until around that time.
Mavericks Granted DPEs For Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum
January 7: The Mavericks’ requests for DPEs have been granted, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). As outlined below, the exceptions are worth $2,626,680 (for Lively) and $1,148,137 (for Exum).
December 29: The Mavericks have applied to the NBA for disabled player exceptions for both Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum, who have suffered season-ending injuries, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The DPEs would provide half of each player’s salary, so they would be modest in both cases, although they could offer some flexibility later in the season. The figures would amount to $2,626,680 for Lively (who’s making $5,253,360 on his rookie scale deal) and $1,148,137 for Exum (who has a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2,296,274).
Even if the exceptions are granted, Dallas wouldn’t be able to surpass its second-apron hard cap. The team is currently about $1.29MM below that cap.
Lively, 21, has been experiencing right foot issues since suffering a fracture in his foot/ankle area last January. It kept him out of action for two months and required him to undergo surgery in July in an effort to fix the issue. He continued to be bothered by health problems, missing a nine-game stretch in October and November due to a right knee sprain, then battling nagging discomfort in his right foot.
The decision was made to have him undergo season-ending foot surgery earlier this month.
Lively, who played a huge role in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals as a rookie, wound up playing just seven games in his third NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.
Exum, 30, who re-signed with the team in August after battling injuries last season, wasn’t able to play at all due to complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. He underwent follow-up surgery earlier this month.
Dallas would have until March 10 to use either DPE to acquire a player for the rest of the season. A roster spot would have to be created, and the team can’t fit a new signing under its hard cap until January 6.
Mavs’ Dante Exum Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
December 12: Exum has undergone successful season-ending surgery, the Mavs announced on Friday (via Twitter).
November 20: Dante Exum‘s 2025/26 season has come to an end before it even began, according to the Mavericks, who announced today (via Twitter) that the veteran guard will undergo season-ending surgery.
According to the Mavs, Exum – who had yet to play at all this fall – has continued to deal with complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. It has been determined that a follow-up surgery is necessary to address the issue.
It’s the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited Exum’s availability over the course of his professional career. After playing all 82 games as a rookie, the former fifth overall pick missed his entire second NBA season in 2015/16 due to a torn ACL, then was plagued by shoulder, ankle, and knee issues in subsequent years.
Exum rebuilt his value by playing in Europe from 2021-23, then returned stateside during the 2023 offseason and has been in Dallas since then. The 30-year-old has been a very effective role player for the Mavs when healthy, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.472/.768.
However, he has made just 75 appearances since the start of the 2023/24 season, including just 20 in ’24/25 due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand.
With the Mavericks’ front office very much in the news as of late, the team’s handling of Exum in recent months deserves some scrutiny, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter links).
As Afseth points out, the Mavs never publicly disclosed Exum’s offseason knee surgery before today and had to use the stretch provision to waive Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s guaranteed $3MM salary in order to create enough room under their hard cap to bring back Exum on a guaranteed minimum-salary deal. Given Exum’s injury history, that was a risky move, especially considering that Dallas badly needed backcourt depth while Kyrie Irving continued to recover from his ACL tear.
While the Mavs could waive Exum to open up a spot on their 15-man roster, they won’t have enough room under that hard cap to sign a replacement until January, barring a separate cost-cutting move. If Exum remains on the roster, Dallas could apply for a disabled player exception, but it would be worth just half of the guard’s salary, making it too small to be of much real use.
Southwest Notes: Fox, Flagg, Exum, Eason
Spurs fans have been waiting eight months to see De’Aaron Fox back in action, and he gave them something to remember in Saturday’s season debut, writes Raul Dominguez of The Associated Press. Fox had 24 points, three rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes and sank a late floater to wrap up a win over New Orleans. He admitted being rusty after not playing for so long, but trusted his talent when taking the final shot.
“I mean, I’m good at basketball,” Fox said. “So, you can still have rust and be able to do that.”
San Antonio was hoping to make a push for the playoffs after acquiring Fox in February, but he suffered a torn tendon in his left pinky finger and decided to have season-ending surgery March 12. An offseason injury to his right hamstring delayed his comeback as the Spurs were cautious with his recovery.
“For me, as a player and as a competitor, obviously I want to get out there,” Fox said. “But I’m listening to (the medical staff) and they have the best interest for me because obviously I signed a contract to be here long term, so they want to protect the asset and make sure the asset is ready when I’m out there. So, for me, it was just trusting that, trusting the process and I feel like we did a great job this summer and up in the early parts of the season.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Cooper Flagg expressed frustration over the Mavericks‘ slow start after Wednesday’s loss to New Orleans, but he was happier with the results on Saturday as the team picked up its first road victory at Washington, relays Christian Clark of The Athletic. Coach Jason Kidd explained that handling the ups and downs of a long season is part of the adjustment to NBA life. “I think you learn really fast when you play 82 games with the best players in the world,” Kidd said. “It’s not high school. It’s not college. You lose more than six games. There are lessons to be learned. It doesn’t take you from becoming a champion or one of the best players in the world. You have to adjust and understand that you’re going to lose. But you learn from losing each time you take the floor.”
- Kidd told reporters on Saturday that Dante Exum is getting reevaluated for a right knee injury that has prevented him from playing so far this season, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Exum hasn’t practiced since early in training camp and has been listed as out due to injury management.
- Rockets forward Tari Eason talks to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle about the “toughest year” of his life due to his father’s disappearance and unexpected death in March. “I try to just keep his name alive, keep his spirit alive,” Eason said. “That’s all I can do, is hold it down for my little brothers and little sister.”
Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Williams, Martin, Exum, Cisse
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd provided an encouraging injury update on Daniel Gafford on Saturday, writes Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
Gafford has been recovering from a sprained ankle he sustained on the first day of training camp, and Kidd said there’s a chance the 27-year-old center could be ready for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. San Antonio after going through the non-contact portions of Saturday’s practice.
“We’ll see,” Kidd said. “No contact today, but he did some things. I wouldn’t rule it out, but we’ll take it day by day.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- According to Afseth, guard Brandon Williams and wing Caleb Martin were full participants in yesterday’s practice. “Yeah, they’re trending in the right direction,” Kidd said when asked if Williams and Martin will be active against the Spurs. “If they keep doing what they’re doing Monday and Tuesday, they’ll have a good chance to play.” Williams has battled a hamstring strain for the past few weeks, but played three minutes in Dallas’ preseason finale vs. the Lakers, while Martin has been dealing with an undisclosed injury which prevented him in playing in any preseason games.
- Gafford, Williams and Martin appear to be making solid progress in their respective recoveries, but Dante Exum continues to be hampered by right knee soreness and didn’t practice on Saturday, per Afseth. Kidd previously said Exum would likely be out for a while, but didn’t provide any sort of return timeline.
- Guinean center Moussa Cisse, who went undrafted in June and had been on an Exhibit 10 deal, was promoted to a two-way contract yesterday after impressing the Mavs over the past handful of weeks. “He’s earned it,” Kidd said, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s had a heck of a preseason/training camp. Things that he’s done for us in practice and then also in the games has been at a very high level. We’re really excited to have him on board.” As Townsend writes, the shot-blocking big man was thrilled when he heard the news. “It feels great, after all the hours you’re putting in in the gym, coming in and working,” Cisse said. “Having opportunities like those, I’m really grateful. This is like a dream come true.”
Mavericks Release Banton, Robinson-Earl, Smith
The Mavericks have requested waivers on Dalano Banton, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dennis Smith Jr., the team announced today (Twitter link).
All three NBA veterans were on non-guaranteed contracts for training camp. Banton’s deal contained both Exhibit 9 and Exhibit 10 language, meaning he’s now eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he reports to the Texas Legends and spends at least 60 days with Dallas’ G League affiliate.
Robinson-Earl and Smith, meanwhile, were on Exhibit 9 deals, protecting the Mavs in the event of an injury to either player, which thankfully did not occur.
Banton was the 46th overall pick in the 2021 draft and has played in 216 regular season games for Toronto, Boston and Portland over the past four seasons. In ’24/25, he made a career-high 67 appearances, averaging 8.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .391/.324/.728.
The Canadian guard looked like a relative long shot to make Dallas’ roster, given that he was signed a week after training camp had gotten underway.
Robinson-Earl, a 6’9″ forward/center, was also selected in the second round of 2021 (32nd overall) and has appeared in 197 regular season contests for Oklahoma City and New Orleans over the past four seasons. In ’24/25, he averaged 6.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG in a career-best 66 games (18.8 MPG) for the Pelicans, posting a shooting slash line of .455/.341/.836.
Robinson-Early had by far the largest role of the three players during preseason, appearing in all four games for the Mavs while averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.0 MPG in 12.2 MPG.
Despite being out of the NBA last season, Smith is undoubtedly the most familiar face for Mavs fans. Dallas selected the 6’2″ guard No. 9 overall back in 2017, but wound up trading him to New York during his second season as part of the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster.
Smith has developed into a strong point-of-attack defender, but has struggled to score efficiently throughout his seven-year career. He drew praise from head coach Jason Kidd multiple times during training camp.
The moves seemingly indicate that the Mavs intend to keep guards Dante Exum and Brandon Williams on their standard roster. Exum’s minimum-salary contract is fully guaranteed, but he has dealt with a right knee injury during training camp and preseason and could miss extended time.
While Williams’ deal is only partially guaranteed for $200K in 2025/26, Dallas has been encouraged by the 25-year-old’s development over the past couple seasons, having promoted him from a two-way deal at the end of ’24/25.
The Mavs now have 18 players under contract.
Dante Exum Sidelined By Right Knee Soreness
Mavericks guard Dante Exum is dealing with pain in his right knee that has limited his availability in practice and caused him to miss his second straight preseason game tonight, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
In a pregame meeting with reporters, coach Jason Kidd said the team is taking a cautious approach with Exum’s recovery. He indicated that Exum will be out for an extended period, but didn’t speculate on how long it might be. This is the first time anyone from the team has provided specifics on the injury that has affected Exum since training camp began.
Kidd added that the Mavs are taking a “long-term view” with Exum’s health and explained that the injury has “delayed his preparation for the start of the season,” tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Injuries have been a career-long issue for Exum, who only appeared in 20 games last season due to right wrist surgery and a broken left hand. He was still an effective player when healthy, making 13 starts and averaging 8.7 points and 2.8 assists in 18.6 minutes per night.
Exum reached an agreement in early July to re-sign with the team on a one-year, minimum-salary contract. The deal wasn’t finalized until September 1 because Dallas had to open a roster spot and clear up room under its second apron hard cap. That happened when the Mavs waived and stretched former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper in late August.
Dallas had been hoping for better health from the 30-year-old combo guard, as Kyrie Irving is still recovering from a torn ACL and his return date remains uncertain. In addition, Brandon Williams is dealing with a hamstring strain he suffered early in training camp.
If Exum’s absence appears to be prolonged, it could improve the chances for Dalano Banton (Exhibit 10 contract) or Dennis Smith Jr. (Exhibit 9 deal) to earn a roster spot.