Dante Exum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Pelicans, Murphy, Eason, Rockets

January 4th, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks had a couple of frontcourt rotation players go down with ankle injuries in Wednesday’s blowout victory over Portland, as Dereck Lively sprained his left ankle in the third quarter and Grant Williams sprained his right in the fourth, writes Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Neither player returned to the game.

However, head coach Jason Kidd said after the game that the two sprains were “mild,” tweets ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, and on Thursday, both players were listed as questionable for Friday’s rematch with Portland (Twitter link via Mavs play-by-play announcer Mark Followill). Dante Exum (right heel contusion) and Richaun Holmes (personal reasons) are doubtful.

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Instead of folding after being blown out by the Lakers during the in-season tournament, the Pelicans have played their best basketball of the season over the past few weeks, going 9-3, including seven double-digit wins, per William Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory writes, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson playing selflessly and “doing the little things” has contributed to the team’s success, as has CJ McCollum adapting to a more spot-up role while being a locker room leader.
Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy is still considered day-to-day after missing the past three games with left knee soreness, head coach Willie Green said on Thursday (Twitter link via Christian Clark of NOLA.com). Murphy is questionable for Friday’s matchup with the Clippers, Clark tweets. It’s worth noting that the third-year wing had left knee surgery to repair his meniscus in September.
Second-year Rockets forward Tari Eason has drawn praise from head coach Ime Udoka and has been very impactful when he’s able to suit up lately, but the stress reaction he suffered in his left leg during preseason continues to be an issue, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link), who notes that rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore have gotten more playing time when Eason is out. “It’s day-to-day at this point,” Udoka said of Eason. “He might have reaggravated here and there. It acts up a little bit. So continue to monitor it, but it’s something we’re going to deal with for a while. He’s been getting looked at, checked out, a ton of treatment, rehab. Rest is good for it, has been. On those games he’s played back-to-back, had to limit his minutes. The games we had days off in between, we were capping him at 25. We’d obviously like to play him more when he’s playing really well.”

Southwest Notes: Branham, Spurs, Irving, Doncic

January 2nd, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malaki Branham suffered a right ankle sprain during the first half at Memphis on Tuesday and was ruled out, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets.

The Spurs’ staff has been willing to allow Branham to work through his mistakes at the point, according to Orsborn.

“It’s a whole new world for him and he’s absorbing it every game, basically trying to figure out the role,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s a tough role. It’s the most difficult on the court really in some ways. So, he’s been very successful in taking steps each time to understand how he can help the team, with being aggressive, decision-making, all those sorts of things. He’s dealing with all that, been doing well.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Discussing the right ankle sprain that is expected to sideline teammate Zach Collins for two-to-four weeks, Spurs sharpshooter Doug McDermott said he appreciates the franchise’s conservative approach to injury management. “They look after your body,” McDermott told Orsborn. “They are very player-friendly in that regard. Pop is one of the best I have been around with that stuff. They care about your career. We all appreciate how they go about that.”
Kyrie Irving returned on Monday from a heel contusion that had sidelined him since Dec. 8. As Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News details, the Mavericks guard admitted he was very concerned when the injury occurred, as teammate Dwight Powell fell on his leg. “Oh, yeah, I was scared, man. I was very scared,” Irving said. “My daughter was at the game. I was trying to make sure she was good first, so I went into daddy mode right after. But once I got home, man it was a struggle, just even going to sleep. You could feel the throbbing. I wasn’t sure of the significance of the injury and how long I was going to be out.”
Luka Doncic is grateful the Mavericks signed Dante Exum, who is currently dealing with a heel injury, as a free agent last summer, Grant Afseth of Sports Illustrated writes. Exum has made an unexpected impact since returning to the NBA from the EuroLeague, starting 14 games and making contributions across the board. “Honestly, he’s been amazing so far,” Doncic said of Exum. “Not just really good, but amazing. His IQ is insane. He’s driving to the basket. His layups, he’s been hitting threes. I’m really happy that he’s on the team because he’s been a great addition to our team.”

International Notes: EuroLeague, Exum, Reath, Cauley-Stein, Zizic

December 31st, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker is among several former NBA players struggling to make the adjustment to the EuroLeague, writes Dimitris Minaretzis of Eurohoops. After signing with AS Monaco this summer, the 33-year-old guard is averaging just 4.4 points and 1.1 assists per game as he fights for playing time in a crowded backcourt. Knee injuries plagued Walker throughout the end of his NBA career, and they appear to still be limiting his effectiveness in Europe.

Elsewhere, Minaretzis notes that FC Barcelona’s Jabari Parker is averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while KK Partizan has PJ Dozier at 9.2 points and 3.2 assists per night and Frank Kaminsky at 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

The only players who are standing out after being on NBA rosters last season are Serge Ibaka, who’s averaging 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Bayern Munich, and Kendrick Nunn, who is at 11.6 points and 2.5 assists per night with Panathinaikos. Ibaka has previous EuroLeague experience, having played in Spain before being drafted in 2008.

There’s more international news to pass along:

After making a surprising impact with their NBA clubs, Dante Exum and Duop Reath are in contention for starting spots with the Australian Olympic team, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Exum, who recently moved into the Mavericks‘ starting lineup because of his strong play, is averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over his last 10 games, and Uluc notes that he’s given Dallas a secondary ball-handler while serving as a strong complement to Luka Doncic. Reath has become a productive weapon for the Trail Blazers after earning a two-way deal in camp. He provides an outside shooting threat and has reached double figures in scoring in seven of Portland’s last 10 games. Reath posted a career-high 25 points against Sacramento this week and may have surpassed Jock Landale as the Boomers’ best option at center.
Willie Cauley-Stein‘s first venture in Europe has ended after 20 games, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Pallacanestro Varese announced that it has parted ways with the 30-year-old center, who averaged 9.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Italian team.
Croatian center Ante Zizic has signed with Virtus Bologna, the team announced in a press release. Zizic, 26, was a first-round pick in 2017 and played 113 total games with Cleveland from 2017 to 2020. He captured a Turkish championship and the President’s Cup last season with Anadolu Efes.

Mavericks Move Grant Williams To Bench

December 25th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks made a change to their starting lineup in Monday’s game against Phoenix, benching Grant Williams in favor of Tim Hardaway Jr., tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. The other four starters were Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively.

While Hardaway is starting on Christmas, head coach Jason Kidd said before the game that once Kyrie Irving returns from his heel injury, the starting five will be Doncic, Irving, Exum, Jones and Lively, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Williams, a 6’6″ forward who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Boston, inked a four-year, $53.4MM deal as a restricted free agent this offseason. He had started all 26 games in which he appeared this season for Dallas, averaging 9.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 1.8 APG on .422/.399/.656 shooting in 26 contests (29.2 MPG).

Exum (two years, $6.15MM; only 2023/24 is guaranteed) and Jones (one-year, minimum salary) signed far less lucrative contracts than Williams, but they’ve both been playing well, especially lately. The Mavs have a plus-14.7 net rating in their 190 minutes on the court together, MacMahon adds.

Williams came off the bench for the majority of his four seasons with the Celtics, so it likely won’t be a difficult adjustment for the 25-year-old. Still, it’s a noteworthy change for Dallas, which currently holds a 17-12 record, good for the No. 5 seed in the West.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Exum, Rose

December 18th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans heated up on their latest road swing, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans has gone 3-0 on its latest mini-road trip, and is currently riding a four-game win streak overall. The team returns home Tuesday, for a bout against Memphis.

“The guys are buying into what we are asking them to do,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are staying with it. We are trusting it. We are showing them the pictures when we watch film. We are getting on the floor and going over it again and again. Expressing to them how important it is to play with force, play with pace. Continue to share the ball. Just make the simple plays over and over again.”

New Orleans is currently 16-11 overall on the season. In the crowded West, that record is good for the conference’s seventh seed.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been performing at an MVP level this year, opines Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has steered Dallas to a 16-9 start on the year. His 32.7 points per game rank second in the league, and his 9.1 assists per game place him fourth. He was just named the West’s Player of the Week for his most recent four-game run, in which he averaged 36.8 PPG, 11.5 APG and 8.0 RPG while helped the Mavericks go 3-1.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum has emerged as a critical running mate for Doncic this season, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. “He knows how to play,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s not judged on his scoring. He’s judged on doing the right thing.” Exum returned to the NBA this season after a two-year stint overseas. While starting the past six contests for Dallas, Exum has been averaging 30.8 minutes per night. Cato applauds the way Exum’s game fits in the Mavericks’ heliocentric offense around Doncic. “We try to attack personnel here (and) it’s working for us, it’s an advantage for us,” Exum said. “If it hasn’t worked for a couple plays, just getting the ball and saying, ‘Alright, getting guys connected, organized into an offense,’ that’s what I can do.”
After departing a 103-96 loss to the Rockets on Friday with left hamstring tightness, Grizzlies reserve guard Derrick Rose is considered week-to-week going forward, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). When healthy, Rose has been a solid bench contributor for an injury- and suspension-depleted Memphis club, averaging 9.1 PPG (.438/.344/.905 shooting), 3.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in just 18.9 MPG.

Mavs Notes: Exum, Supporting Cast, Luka, Kyrie

December 14th, 2023 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first injury-plagued NBA stint, former No. 5 overall pick Dante Exum was not known for his shooting prowess. However, the Australian guard/forward had an impressive turnaround in his percentages over the past couple seasons in Europe, and after signing with the Mavericks over the summer, Exum is starting to make teams pay for leaving him open.

Exum started the 2023/24 season slowly, as he wasn’t a regular part of Dallas’ rotation. Over his first 17 games, he was just 5-of-22 (22.7%) beyond the arc. But he’s been increasingly earning the team’s trust due to his timely cutting, connective passing and defense, which has led to a jump in playing time (injuries have also been a factor).

As Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes, Exum was scorching hot in Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers, finishing with season highs of 26 points and 36 minutes. He was extremely efficient, going 8-of-10 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep. Seven made three-pointers was a career-high for the 28-year-old.

It’s an admittedly very small sample size, but Exum is averaging 21.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.0 steal on .639/.667/.750 shooting over the past three games, all victories (34.7 minutes). If he continues lighting it up, his $3MM contract for ’23/24 will look like a bargain (his $3.15MM salary for ’24/25 is non-guaranteed).

Here’s more on the Mavs:

There’s no question that Luka Doncic is the driving force behind the team’s third-ranked offense, but the supporting cast also deserves praise for the Mavs’ 15-8 start, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who says offseason additions Exum, Dereck Lively, Grant Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. have all provided solid contributions in ’23/24. The team’s depth is much improved from last season’s 38-win campaign, Cato writes.
Tuesday’s victory over L.A. was the second of a back-to-back for Dallas, which beat Memphis on Monday. With Kyrie Irving (foot), Josh Green (elbow) and Maxi Kleber (toe) all injured, Doncic has been tasked with an extremely heavy workload, playing 44 minutes on Monday followed by 43 on Tuesday. Following the latest win, Doncic, who was listed as questionable leading into the contest with a lower back contusion, said he was surprised he was able to suit up. “I don’t know how I played,” Doncic said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I slept very little today. Everything hurts. I’m getting old, man, but we got two back-to-back wins, which is amazing, especially against a team like the Lakers. So I’m really proud of these guys.”
Irving is wearing a protective boot and using crutches after sustaining a right heel contusion on Friday, MacMahon tweets. Head coach Jason Kidd said there’s still no firm timetable for Irving’s return.

Southwest Notes: Irving, Lofton Jr., Murphy, Eason

December 9th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving suffered a right foot injury on Friday when teammate Dwight Powell landed on him. Coach Jason Kidd said he’ll know more on Saturday about the extent of the injury, according to ESPN.

Dante Exum picked up the slack with 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a victory over Portland.

“One of the biggest things with our team is our next man up mentality,” Exum told Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “You see that right now with me as an example. We have (a lot of players) down. And the guys have been able to step up. Hopefully, he (Irving) is not out for too long, but we have a deep roster that’s willing and ready to step up.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Kenneth Lofton Jr. has shed 20 pounds in the past three weeks, he told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Lofton has played sparingly for the Grizzlies this season despite frontcourt injuries. He’s hoping his improved conditioning will lead to a bigger role. “My mental has been good,” he said. “I’m just pretty much waiting on my time, working off the court and getting better at my strengths. Really just focusing on myself.” He needs to show more, as his $2.02MM salary for next season is not guaranteed.
When the Pelicans executed a trade three days before the 2021 draft, Trey Murphy knew the organization was interested in selecting him. In a multi-player trade, New Orleans gave up the 10th pick and received the 17th pick. However, Murphy wasn’t sure if he’d go a little higher. “I knew for sure once they moved back from 10 to 17, they are making a move with the intent of drafting me at 17,” Murphy told Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I knew my draft range was around 14 to 17. That was my range. I was either going to go 14 to the Warriors or go 16 to Oklahoma City at the time. It ended up changing to Houston (in a draft-night trade). One of those three teams.”
Second-year forward Tari Eason has endeared himself to Rockets coach Ime Udoka due to his versatility, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “Metric-wise or analytic-wise, he’s off the charts for all of those reasons. He defends, can shoot the ball and do some different things with his offensive rebounding, loose balls. Where other guys might touch their hands and lose it, he gets every one of those,” Udoka said. “Just makes the right plays over and over. We’re happy that his minutes are starting to go up. We can play him a little bit more here and there and we understand how impactful he is for us.”

Mavericks Notes: Exum, Doncic, Lively, Kleber, Green

December 4th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Dante Exum credits pre-draft advice he received from Kobe Bryant for helping him withstand the many challenges of his career, writes Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Exum’s NBA path was derailed by numerous injuries and he spent two seasons playing in Europe before signing with the Mavericks this summer.

“There will be a lot of distractions off the court,” Exum said Bryant told him. “It’s about how you handle those and focus on the court. That’s what’s going to define my career.”

The Australian guard was projected to be a star when Utah selected him with the fifth pick in the 2014 draft. However, his second season was wiped out completely by a torn ACL, and after appearing in 66 games in his third year, he hasn’t been available for more than 42 in a season since then. He had brief stops in Cleveland and Houston, and it appeared his NBA career might be over when he left the league after the 2020/21 season. But Exum reestablished himself in Spain and Serbia and got another chance with Dallas.

“Definitely through the injuries, I stayed motivated to stay that way,” Exum said, referring to Bryant’s advice. “A lot of days were hard. I didn’t want to be there [for rehab]. I felt like life was unfair. But it’s something I have to go through and something that I have to keep pushing through. It made me mentally strong.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Luka Doncic admitted to being exhausted after Saturday’s game, and it wasn’t just because he played 46 minutes and put up incredible numbers with 36 points, 15 rebounds and 18 assists, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic became a father for the first time this week and only got four or five hours of sleep before the game. The team considered giving him a night off, but he insisted on playing because Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr. and several other rotation players were already out of action. “It was the happiest day of my life with the baby, but then today’s game was a big roller coaster too,” said Doncic, who led a comeback that included a 30-0 run but fell short. “I’m so sad we didn’t win this game, but man, we gave a big, big effort.”
Rookie center Dereck Lively II has been a major reason for the Mavericks’ early-season success, notes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Coaches have been urging Lively to take a larger role in the offense, Hollinger adds, and he responded by making all nine of his shots from the field Saturday, scoring 20 points to go with 16 rebounds and seven blocks.
Maxi Kleber‘s absence with a dislocated toe appears as though it will last for a while longer, as coach Jason Kidd tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News that Kleber still hasn’t been cleared to start running (Twitter link). Kidd also expressed concern that Josh Green‘s elbow injury could be a long-term concern.

Mavericks Notes: Cuban, Adelson, Kidd, Doncic, Exum

December 1st, 2023 at 3:42pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Mark Cuban reportedly has no plans to exit the basketball side of business despite selling a majority stake of the Mavericks to the Adelson family. Appearing on the Brian Windhorst podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon pointed out that the deal is a big win for Cuban, who gets to both cash in on the franchise and maintain some say in basketball operations.

“I don’t know exactly what the language is in the purchase agreement, but one thing I have been told, and the exact word I heard is Cuban will have basketball operations for, quote, ‘forevermore,’” MacMahon said (hat tip to RealGM). “I assume that is agreed to in writing.”

It was reported Tuesday that the Adelson family is in the process of buying a major share in the franchise. Cuban is selling the majority stake to billionaire Miriam Adelson – widow of late businessman Sheldon Adelson – and the Adelson family for a valuation in the range of $3.5 billion. Cuban bought the Mavericks for $285MM in 2000.

We have more from the Mavericks:

Miriam Adelson is one of the richest women in the world and is adding Mavericks owner to a résumé that includes casino mogul, GOP power broker and United States and Israel newspaper owner, as explored by AP’s Ken Ritter. Adelson is selling $2 billion in stock of casino company Las Vegas Sands Corp., but will still be a majority shareholder. The $3.5 billion purchase of the Mavericks would make Adelson one of just a handful of female U.S. professional sports franchise owners. According to Ritter, her net worth of $32 billion makes her the fifth-richest woman in the U.S. and the 35th-richest billionaire in the world. Adelson has spoken highly of Cuban in the past. “A good person with good values, though he is totally opposite of us in his political views,” Adelson said.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd took issue with the tone of questions he received from reporters following Dallas’s Tuesday game against the Rockets (Twitter link via HoopsHype). “People will read your positive s–t,” Kidd said. “You don’t always have to be negative, right? Like the world’s already negative enough. So let’s see some positive stuff on some positive people that are playing, doing their job on a nightly basis.“
Luka Doncic is missing his first game of the season for the birth of his daughter, Gabriela, who was announced to the world on Friday, according to The Dallas Morning News. Doncic is being designated as out for personal reasons for Friday’s game against the Grizzlies. Guard Dante Exum is also out for personal reasons for that matchup.

Mavericks Notes: Hardaway, Lively, Williams, Exum

October 1st, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Tim Hardaway Jr. doesn’t mind being used in a reserve role, but he wasn’t aware that was Jason Kidd’s plan before the Mavericks coach explained it on a radio show, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

Appearing on Saturday Stein Line with Marc Stein, Kidd said Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Grant Williams are the definite members of his starting five, with camp competitions to decide the starters at center and small forward. Kidd views Hardaway as the potential leader of his bench unit.

“I’m excited again for Timmy, looking to talk to him about being Sixth Man of the Year,” Kidd said. “That would help our team, put us in a really good seat if he’s up for Sixth Man of the Year. And I think he’s capable of doing that.”

Hardaway has been a part-time starter during most of his time in Dallas and started 45 of the 71 games he played last season, so he’s familiar with either role. He’s willing to do whatever Kidd asks, but he said at Friday’s media day that he and his coach haven’t talked about it.

“You guys heard it first from him,” Hardaway said. “I’m a hybrid, I guess, at this point in my career. Whether I start or come off the bench, I’m not going to be the one to have an ego or anything like that because it doesn’t get you anywhere. I want to win ballgames, just like the rest of the guys on this team. Any other thought is kind of a waste of energy.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Rookie center Dereck Lively II is already making a strong impression and will contend for a starting job in camp, Townsend adds. “He’s taken a big, big jump for us here late, being able to play with Luka in the pickup games,” Kidd said. “There’s some excitement between those two.”
The Mavericks are still getting used to Williams, who was known for being extremely vocal on the court during his time with the Celtics. Dallas targeted the free agent forward to bring that same energy and a defensive presence to his new team. “I think Grant is a good leader too, he talks a lot,” Doncic told reporters at media day (video link). “Sometimes too much.”
Dante Exum plans to return to Partizan Belgrade if he ever plays in Europe again, according to Eurohoops. Exum signed a two-year, $6.15MM contract with the Mavericks this summer that is non-guaranteed for the second season. “Let me say right now, if I ever return to Europe, Partizan is the first option, and probably the only one,” Exum told Mozzart Sport.