Dante Exum is back in Dallas. According to Shams Charania, the free agent guard has agreed to a one-year contract to rejoin the Mavericks for the 2025–26 NBA season.
Exum reportedly considered offers from two other contenders before choosing to stay in Dallas, where he is expected to share ball-handling duties alongside D’Angelo Russell to open the year.
The 29-year-old Australian guard last played for the Mavericks during the 2024–25 campaign, appearing in 18 games and starting 12. He averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7% from beyond the arc.
Exum’s season was cut short on March 14 after he suffered a broken bone in his left hand against the Houston Rockets. The injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year, including Dallas’ appearance in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
Despite his absence down the stretch, Exum delivered efficient production in limited minutes and provided stability to the Mavericks’ second unit. His 3-point percentage was the highest of his NBA career and ranked among the top on the team.
Originally drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2014, Exum has now played in 318 career NBA games, including stints with the Jazz, Cavaliers, and Mavericks. His career averages include 6.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game.
Dallas finished the 2024–25 regular season 39–43 and advanced past Sacramento in the Play-In before falling to Memphis in the next round. The franchise used the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg and has since re-signed Exum to reinforce its backcourt depth.
