The Dallas Mavericks’ injury struggles continue as Dante Exum has been ruled out for the season with a broken bone in his left hand. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the 29-year-old guard is now sidelined indefinitely, adding to Dallas’ growing list of unavailable players.
Exum was enjoying a career-best season, averaging 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. Injuries had already limited him to just 17 appearances, and now his season is officially over.
His absence is another setback for the Mavericks (33-35), who are clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference. They have a slim 1.5-game lead over the Phoenix Suns (31-36) but have lost eight of their last ten games, putting their play-in tournament hopes in jeopardy.
Dallas has already lost Kyrie Irving and Olivier-Maxence Prosper to season-ending injuries, while Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford remain sidelined with uncertain return timelines. Exum had recently taken over starting point guard duties, making his injury another blow to the team’s depth.
With the regular season winding down, the Mavericks must find a way to stay afloat despite their depleted roster. Their upcoming schedule features critical matchups that could determine whether they hold on to a play-in spot or fall out of the postseason race entirely.
