Dallas Mavericks Taking ‘Long-Term Approach’ With Danté Exum’s Knee Injury

Grant AfsethOctober 11, 2025October 11, 2025no comment

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks will take the floor at American Airlines Center on Saturday night for their lone home preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets — but they’ll once again be short-handed in the backcourt.

Danté Exum will remain sidelined due to a knee injury that has kept him out throughout training camp. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd provided an update before Saturday’s game, confirming that Exum will be held out as the team takes a cautious approach.

“Let’s just talk about Danté real quick,” Kidd said. “Danté’s been dealing with some sore knee irritation, which has delayed his preparation for the start of the season. We’re going to take the long-term view, so he’s going to be out for a little bit.”

Exum was seen with ice on his knee during the Mavericks’ training camp in Vancouver last week and has since been limited to bike work in practice. The team has not placed a timetable on his return.

Guard Depth Tested Early

With Exum and Brandon Williams both sidelined, Dallas has been forced to lean on D’Angelo Russell, Ryan Nembhard, and Dennis Smith Jr. to handle point guard duties.

Russell, who joined the Mavericks on a two-year deal this summer, is expected to start again Saturday as the team continues to build chemistry in the backcourt.

Williams, who strained his left hamstring in Vancouver, remains day-to-day and will not play against Charlotte. Kidd has praised the 25-year-old guard for his preparation and leadership, noting that his experience last season stepping into a larger role has carried over into camp.

“Understanding time and score, who hasn’t gotten a shot, how we’re playing on the offensive end,” Kidd said earlier this week. “When you have the ball you’re our leader. Some of that leadership role is something that he’s going to have to show us again this year.”

Jason Kidd Adjusting Playing Time

As the Mavericks ramp up toward the regular season, Kidd said he plans to extend his starters’ minutes against the Hornets.

When asked if he’d take the same approach as the preseason opener in Fort Worth, Kidd replied: “No, we’re going to push them into the third quarter. So we’ll bring those guys back to start the third. We’ll get them to around 24 minutes — between 24 and 28.”

Dallas defeated Oklahoma City 106-89 in Monday’s opener behind strong efforts from Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis. The rookie Flagg impressed again during Friday’s Fan Jam scrimmage at AAC, scoring 12 points and throwing down several highlight dunks in front of a packed lower bowl crowd.

What to Watch Against Charlotte

Saturday’s matchup will offer fans their first home look at a new-look Mavericks roster built around Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, though Irving remains out as he continues to ramp up from offseason knee surgery.

Former Mavericks Spencer Dinwiddie and Josh Green return to Dallas as members of the Hornets. Rookie forward Kon Knueppel, who played alongside Flagg at Duke last season, is also expected to see action.

The Mavericks will close out their preseason schedule with road games at Utah on Monday and in Las Vegas against the Lakers on Wednesday.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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