Dante Exum Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Wembanyama, Rockets, Washington, Exum

December 15th, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Defensive Spurs center Victor Wembanyama intends to suit up for the French national team every time he gets the chance, per L’Equipe (hat tip to Eurohoops for the translation). The 7’4″ big man added that he plans to rejoin his countrymen for the EuroBasket competition next summer.

“I don’t know the exact dates, but there’s always time to make it work with the French team,” Wembanyama said. “You just have to sacrifice a bit of your physical preparation for the following season. So yeah, it’s definitely my goal to play for the French team every summer.”

Wembanyama indicated that he had spoken with new Team France head coach Frederic Fauthoux about his intentions.

“I’ve spoken with him briefly since he became coach. But we haven’t formally discussed any specific deadlines,” Wembanyama said.

The reigning Rookie of the Year averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game for the French national team during last summer’s Olympic games in Paris. France won its second consecutive silver medal thanks in large part to his efforts.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

While they didn’t get past the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday, the Rockets proved that they belong in the conversation as legitimate threat in the West with their 91-90 tournament quarterfinal victory over Golden State, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “When you get a taste of winning, it’s from the other side,” guard Jalen Green said after the win. “It’s a side I ain’t been on in two, three years of this. You’re going to do whatever it takes. So I saw the opportunity to dive on the floor, and I took it. The results came out amazing.”
In the midst of his best season yet, Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has emerged as a critical below-the-radar contributor, opines Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. To wit, Dallas has gone 1-5 without Washington available thus far this season. “[If] they watch the game and see how much dirty work he’s doing, he’s on the floor,” center Dereck Lively said of his teammate. “He’s gambling for loose balls. He’s trying to get a jump ball. He’s trying to get rebounds. He’s trying to attack the rim. He’s trying to shoot the ball. My man P.J. is an amazing player.”
Injured Mavericks guard Dante Exum is taking big strides as he works his way back from a right wrist surgery, Curtis tweets. He has missed all 25 of Dallas’ games so far this year — the Mavericks have gone 16-9 without him. “He’s doing a lot of work with the left hand to be able to go both ways with his right and left,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “I think his attitude and he’s been working extremely hard. He looks great.” When Exum underwent surgery in early October, reports indicated he was expected to miss three months.

Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Lively, Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Grimes

December 2nd, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have fielded some inquiries regarding Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively but haven’t shown any interest in trading either big man, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.

However, the Mavericks could be active in the trade market. They could seek potential upgrades by parting with their 2025 first-round pick or their 2031 first-rounder. They could also add a young piece such as Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in a trade package, Scotto notes.

Dallas is approximately $5.3MM above the luxury tax but might be able to drop below that figure if it is able to deal Maxi Kleber, Scotto adds. He’ll make $11MM this season, with a matching cap hit for 2025/26.

We have more on the Mavs:

Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday and racked up 36 points and 13 assists against the Trail Blazers. He posted on social media that it was “great” to be back from a five-game absence. Doncic complimented the team on how it performed without him. “Obviously, I think their pace was great. They were playing amazing,” Doncic said, per ESPN News Services. “So, [I was] just trying to adapt to that. They beat some tough teams, and I was just happy to sit back, watch and enjoy.”
Dallas defeated Portland despite having several other starters and rotation players sidelined. Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Lively (right knee hyperextension), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Naji Marshall (illness) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all missed the game, the Mavs PR department tweets.
Grimes, who joined Dallas in the offseason trade with Detroit, has been on a hot streak of late. He’s averaged 24.3 points over the last three games. “I’m glad to see my confidence growing,” Grimes told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m just playing downhill, not overthinking, and focusing on helping on both ends of the floor.” Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season, as he and the team were unable to reach a rookie scale extension by the October deadline.

Mavs’ Exum Undergoes Wrist Surgery, Expected To Miss Three Months

October 9th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Dante Exum underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a right wrist injury, the team announced in a press release. Reporting last week indicated that Exum had suffered a “serious” wrist injury and that surgery was one of the treatment options being considered.

While the Mavs’ announcement didn’t include an estimated recovery timeline, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Exum is expected to be sidelined for the next three months. That would put him in line for a return sometime in the new year.

Exum, 29, was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, but battled health issues early in his NBA career and struggled to develop into a reliable rotation piece. He spent two seasons overseas from 2021-23 and played well for FC Barcelona in Spain and KK Partizan in Serbia, earning another shot in the NBA.

The 6’5″ guard signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks during the 2023 offseason and played a regular role for the Western Conference champions last season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.9 APG with a .533/.491/.779 shooting line and strong defense in 55 games (19.8 MPG).

Once again though, injuries have been an obstacle since his return stateside. Exum missed time last season due to foot and knee ailments, then had to sit out Australia’s first game at the Paris Olympics in July due to a compound dislocation of his right index finger. Now he’s expected to be on the shelf for roughly half of the 2024/25 regular season.

With Exum unavailable this fall, the Mavericks figure to lean more heavily on veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie and third-year pro Jaden Hardy for backcourt depth behind superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Dante Exum Injures Right Wrist; Surgery Possible

October 4th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Reserve Mavericks guard Dante Exum has sustained a “serious” injury to his right wrist, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that various treatment options are under consideration for Exum, with surgery viewed as one possibility.

The Mavericks confirmed the injury in a statement of their own, but offered no additional details, simply stating that Exum has injured his right wrist and will continue to be evaluated, with updates to come (Twitter link).

It’s a disappointing setback for Exum, who dealt with an injury affecting his right index finger over the summer. A compound dislocation of that finger sidelined the veteran guard for Australia’s first contest in the Paris Olympics, though he was able to suit up for the team’s remaining three games and was a key contributor for the Boomers, with averages of 11.0 points and 4.0 assists per game.

Exum told reporters earlier this week that he was “fully healthy” after getting nearly two months to recover from that injury. Now it appears he’ll open the 2024/25 season on the shelf.

Exum, 29, was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, but battled health issues early in his NBA career and struggled to become a reliable rotation piece. He spent two seasons overseas from 2021-23 and earned another shot in the NBA with strong performances for FC Barcelona in Spain and KK Partizan in Serbia.

The 6’5″ guard signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks during the 2023 offseason and played a regular role for the Western Conference champions last season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 2.9 APG with a .533/.491/.779 shooting line and strong defense in 55 games (19.8 MPG).

If Exum has to miss time this fall, it could result in additional opportunities for Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes, and/or Jaden Hardy.

And-Ones: Brooks, Too-Early Preseason Takes, Sneed, Exum

July 29th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Dillon Brooks is continuing his impressive FIBA streak, helping lead Canada to an 86-79 win over Greece in his team’s Olympic opener. Brooks, who made a trio of three-pointers in the win, also had an impressive 2023 World Cup, averaging 15.1 points per game en route to a bronze medal.

As Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews writes, Brooks pushes himself to another level in international play.

“I like to play for my country; it gives me a lot of passion to do so,” Brooks said. “For the game itself, you have to be 40 minutes attentive to detail. All those things add a lot more to a player, and I like the ball as well.”

Brooks also impressed on defense alongside Thunder wing Luguentz Dort. According to Urbonas, when that duo shared the floor, Canada outscored Greece by 23 points.

“I’m really proud of Dillon,” national team coach Jordi Fernandez said. “This is how it looks when they let Dillon Brooks play. And it’s just not about the defensive end. With Lu Dort, he’s the best perimeter in the World Cup. But he’s extremely efficient offensively.”

Brooks said he didn’t care if his international play changed how NBA fans felt about him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic share the honor of having the same odds for Most Valuable Player next season, but Anthony Edwards is a dark horse, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. Zach Edey is currently the favorite for Rookie of the Year over top-two picks Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, but Cody Williams is a player Jones believes may be getting overlooked. Jones talks through all the major awards, as well as some teams he does or doesn’t believe in.
Former NBAer Xavier Sneed signed with Bnei Herzliya Basket, a team in Israel, the club relays in a release (Twitter link). Sneed played 13 games across two seasons (2021-23) on two-way or 10-day contracts with the Hornets, Grizzlies and Jazz. He’s scored 22 points in 87 total minutes at the NBA level.
As we relayed Sunday, Australian guard Dante Exum seemed to be nearing a return from a right index finger injury. Boomers coach Brian Goorjan confirmed as much, stating that he expects Exum to return on Tuesday vs. Canada, according to Fox Sports’ Matt Logue (Twitter link).

International Notes: Olympics, Sneaker Deals, Wemby, Exum, Birch

July 28th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Thirteen of the top 20 highest earners in the Paris Olympics are NBA players, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. They aren’t paid to play by the NBA or any Olympic committee, but players earn money through their shoe contracts from companies like Nike or Under Armour.

Sneaker companies have bonuses for games played in the Olympics because players using them are putting their products on a global stage. Adidas, for example, earns 76% of its revenue outside of North America.

Nike has a major presence in the Olympics since they’re a longtime sponsor of USA Basketball. Converse, a Nike-owned brand, recently extended Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and expects to launch his signature shoe in 2025. He was named creative director as part of the deal.

Countries can also shell out money for performance incentives. For example, Serbia has one of the largest gold medal bonuses for players, meaning Nikola Jokic would be eligible for $215K if Serbia were to win gold.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Victor Wembanyama has become the face of French basketball at a young age and he’s carried that into the Olympics in his home country, Andrew Lopez of ESPN writes. France lost by five points in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without Wembanyama and took home its first silver medal since 2000. Now, with him on board, the host country is aiming to take home the gold in 2024.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum is returning from a right index finger injury and missed Australia’s Olympic game against Spain. However, according to Sportando, there is “growing optimism” about Exum’s return for his country’s game against Canada on Tuesday.
Former NBAer Khem Birch served as an “insider” for Canada’s win against Greece since he played for Greek club Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops.net. “It’s definitely gold or nothing,” Birch said of Canada’s Olympic chances. “That’s the number one goal. I think we have a lot of parity in the Olympics right now. I think anyone can win it. so we have a big chance.”

Olympic Notes: Team USA, Exum, Aldama, Theis, France

July 27th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA big men Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis have both missed practice time ahead of the club’s pool-play opener vs. Serbia on Sunday due to illnesses, while Kevin Durant was unable to suit up in any of the pre-Olympic exhibition games as a result of a calf strain. However, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, head coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism on Saturday that none of his 12 players will be unavailable vs. Serbia.

“I’m confident we’ll have everybody ready (Sunday),” Kerr said.

The U.S. squad beat Serbia by 26 points earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, holding star center Nikola Jokic to 6-of-19 shooting in that game. But the Serbians were resting some key players, including Bogdan Bogdanovic. Team USA is prepared for a more competitive game on Sunday.

“Jokic, with what he’s able to do, obviously we know what he does at NBA, but maybe a little bit higher usage in the international game,” Davis said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Here are a few more notes on the Olympic tournament, which tipped off on Saturday:

NBA veterans like Josh Giddey and Jock Landale led Australia to a win over Spain on Saturday in the first Group A game, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops details. However, the Boomers were missing one notable NBAer, as Dante Exum was unavailable due to a compound dislocation of his finger. While at least one report has suggested Exum will miss multiple games, he hasn’t technically been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Canada yet and is working to return as soon as possible. “The biggest thing at the moment is trying to just let the wound heal because it was a compound dislocation,” he said (Twitter link via Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com). “So just making sure everything [is right], but I’ll put a ball in my hand tomorrow and see how it feels and go from there.”
Although Spain couldn’t pick up a win on Saturday, Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama was impressive in defeat, racking up 27 points and six three-pointers. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, those six threes represented a Spanish Olympic record.
Pelicans center Daniel Theis helped lead Germany to a win over Japan on Saturday with 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting. He suggested after the game that last year’s World Cup title puts a spotlight on the Germans in this year’s event. “I think we kind of got a target on our back. Everybody wanted to be the world champion,” Theis said, per Barkas of Eurohoops. “One of our biggest strengths is we never underestimate any opponent. We did not do it last year. We have not done it this year. Whoever we played, we never took anybody lightly. So we take everybody seriously, and that is a big strength for us.”
The top two picks in this year’s NBA draft are French, but neither Zaccharie Risacher nor Alex Sarr is representing France at this year’s Olympics. Marc J. Spears of Andscape takes a closer look at why the youngsters aren’t in Paris with the French national team this year and why they’re likely to be factors at the 2028 Olympics. France won its opener on Saturday over Brazil, with Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum each scoring a game-high 19 points.

Olympic Notes: Gabriel, Exum, K. Antetokounmpo, Galloway

July 22nd, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran NBA big man Wenyen Gabriel believes South Sudan is ready to become a force in international basketball, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. Before taking on the world’s best teams at the Olympics, the Bright Stars got plenty of attention by nearly upsetting Team USA in an exhibition game on Saturday.

“A lot of people around the world don’t know what South Sudan was, but today we were able to represent our country with pride, put up a good fight, and show them the potential of our country,” Gabriel said. “It was a proud moment for a lot of people. Obviously, we wanted to win, we played really well and I’m really proud of my teammates, the heart we showed, the dedication, and trying to put respect on our name, and to get our country respected.”

South Sudan has built a competitive basketball program since gaining its independence from Sudan 13 years ago. Former NBA star Luol Deng has financed the effort, but the nation is still in the process of building its first indoor basketball court. Gabriel is looking forward to seeing young South Sudanese players develop their skills as facilities become more widespread.

“There are some tall kids back in the village, I remember I came back home to South Sudan to visit them, and they didn’t have any opportunities,” he added. “Seven feet tall and they’re herding cows. Some people around the world don’t have the opportunity to play basketball for a living, to go shoot hoops, to go fish for food, do different things to survive. Today was an example and something to bring us together.”

There’s more on the Olympics:

An injured finger won’t prevent Mavericks guard Dante Exum from playing in the Olympics, according to ESPN Australia. Exum had to leave Sunday’s exhibition game against France after hurting the finger on a drive to the basket, but X-rays showed it’s a compound dislocation rather than a fracture. “Any time one of your key pieces goes down there’s some degree of concern,” Australian teammate Jock Landale said. “They’ve cleared him for play and Dante’s a pretty tough individual … he’s definitely a key piece of the puzzle for us.”
Kostas Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for Greece due to a knee injury, per a Eurohoops report. Doctors determined that the former Mavericks and Lakers forward hasn’t made enough progress in his recovery to receive medical clearance. Giannis Antetokounmpo will headline the Greek roster, but Thanasis Antetokounmpo will also be sidelined as he recovers from Achilles surgery.
Langston Galloway talked to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his unique experience with USA Basketball. After being part of the Select Team that scrimmaged against Team USA in Las Vegas, Galloway was offered the opportunity to travel with the squad and fill a reserve spot during exhibition play. “It’s just a full-circle moment because I played against so many of these guys during my time in the NBA,” Galloway said. “Everybody knows what I can do, and I continue to showcase that. They know I can do it. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. And hey, maybe it’s a full-circle moment. Maybe I’ll be able to get back in the league at some point.”

International Notes: Olympic Qualifiers, Robinson, Australia, Canada, Hayes-Davis

July 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA superstars will match up this weekend in Greece as they look to keep their home countries’ Olympic hopes alive. The Greek national team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take on Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in the semifinals of one of four ongoing Olympic qualifying tournaments (link via ESPN). The winner of Greece vs. Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Croatia vs. Dominican Republic for a spot in the men’s basketball Olympic tournament in Paris.

In total, four Olympic berths still remain up for grabs. The other semifinal matchups in Olympic qualifying tournaments around the globe are as follows:

Riga, Latvia:
- Latvia vs. Cameroon
- Brazil vs. Philippines
Valencia, Spain:
- Spain vs. Finland
- Bahamas vs. Lebanon
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
- Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
- Lithuania vs. Italy

While none of the other teams fighting for a spot in the Olympics has a perennial MVP candidate like Antetokounmpo or Doncic on its roster, there are many NBA players competing in the qualifying tournaments, including All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania and Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon representing the Bahamas.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed with Saint-Quentin in France, the team officially announced (via Twitter). Robinson, who was drafted 13th overall in 2018, has appeared in a total of 135 NBA regular season games, including 22 with Golden State last season while on a two-way contract with the Warriors.
The Australian national team has set its 12-man roster for the Olympics, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who notes that eight active NBA players – Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles – made the cut, along with former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle is the most surprising omission, Uluc adds.
Team Canada hasn’t set its Olympic roster yet, but pared it down a little on Wednesday, with Oshae Brissett among the cuts. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links), Brissett – who is coming off a championship season as a Celtics reserve – asked to withdraw to focus on his NBA free agency. It looks like there are 10 NBA players who are safe bets to be on the Canadian squad, with two roster spots still up for grabs, as Lewenberg outlines in another tweet.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former NBA forward who is part of the U.S. Select Team and was rumored this spring to be drawing NBA interest, has re-upped with Fenerbahce, signing a three-year contract with the Turkish team, according to a press release.

Hawks, Bruno Fernando Agree To Push Back Guarantee Date

June 29th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

For a second straight year, the Hawks and Bruno Fernando have reached an agreement to push back his salary guarantee date, reports Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

In 2023, Atlanta moved Fernando’s salary guarantee deadline from June 29 to July 10, then ultimately kept him on the roster, guaranteeing his full $2.58MM salary for ’23/24. The guarantee date for his $2.72MM salary for ’24/25 has been pushed from June 29 into next month, Williams says, though there are no specific details yet on the new date.

Fernando is one of several players around the league who had a June 28 or June 29 salary guarantee date on his contract for 2024/25. Here are updates on a few of the others:

T.J. McConnell‘s $9.3MM salary for 2024/25, which had been partially guaranteed for $5MM, became fully guaranteed when the Pacers guard remained under contract through Friday, as Tony East of SI.com tweets. Given McConnell’s on-court value to Indiana, he was obviously never in danger of being waived.
That’s also true of Lauri Markkanen, whose contract with the Jazz featured a salary guarantee deadline on Friday. We can safely assume the team didn’t make any effort to push that date back, so the star forward’s $18MM salary for next season is now guaranteed.
Dante Exum remains in the Mavericks‘ plans going forward, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who notes (via Twitter) that the guard’s $3.15MM salary for 2024/25 became guaranteed when he wasn’t waived on Friday. Exum had a very successful return to the NBA last season after two years in Europe, averaging 7.8 PPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.7 RPG with a .533/.491/.779 shooting line in 55 games (19.8 MPG) for Dallas.
Josh Minott‘s $2.02MM salary with the Timberwolves for 2024/25 is now guaranteed, tweets Dane Moore of Blue Wire Podcasts. Minott’s cap hit is a little less than that of a two-year veteran’s minimum, so in addition to having the opportunity to continue developing the 2022 second-round pick, Minnesota will save a little money by carrying him in place of a minimum-salary signing.
Reporting last week suggested that the Rockets planned to keep center Jock Landale through his guarantee date on Saturday, and there have been no indications since then that the plan has changed or that his deadline has been pushed back, so we’re assuming his $8MM salary for 2024/25 is now fully guaranteed. Landale, who had an inconsistent role last season, could be used as a salary-matching piece in a Houston trade at some point during the coming league year.
Our early salary guarantee date tracker has been updated to reflect all of these updates.