Mavericks Upgrade Danté Exum to Questionable Before Clash Against Lakers
Dallas Mavericks guard Danté Exum has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, less than four weeks after suffering a fractured left hand that was initially expected to sideline him indefinitely.
Exum was injured during a 133-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on March 14 and underwent surgery shortly afterward. The team said at the time he would be re-evaluated in four weeks. He had previously missed most of the season recovering from wrist surgery sustained during training camp.
“This has been a tough season for him,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after the March 14 loss. “I feel bad for him because he worked extremely hard to get back. Now, for this to take place, it’s unfortunate.”
Exum, 29, is in the final year of his contract. He has averaged 9.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 18 games this season, shooting 48.0% from the field and 44.7% from the 3-point range.
The update comes as the Mavericks navigate a critical stretch in the Western Conference play-in race. Dallas enters Wednesday with a 38-41 record and three games remaining in the regular season. The team trails the Sacramento Kings by one game for the No. 9 seed.
The Mavericks also plan to convert two-way guard Brandon Williams’s contract to a standard NBA deal later this week. Williams reached his 50-game limit under a two-way contract and will sign a two-year deal once the team becomes eligible to fill its 15th roster spot on Thursday.
Williams, 24, has provided key minutes with injuries limiting the Mavericks’ backcourt depth. In 31 appearances, he has averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 51.1% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range. Since the All-Star break, he is averaging 15.7 points and 4.3 assists in 24.8 minutes per game.
“He’s been great,” Kidd said Tuesday. “He’s done everything we’ve asked.”
The Mavericks have operated short-handed for weeks due to hard-cap restrictions and the season-ending ACL injury to Kyrie Irving. With Spencer Dinwiddie the only traditional guard currently available, the return of Exum and addition of Williams would help bolster the rotation heading into the postseason.
Dallas hosts the Lakers on Wednesday in a nationally televised game that marks Luka Dončić’s return to American Airlines Center as a visiting player. Dončić, who was traded to the Lakers in February, spent over six seasons in Dallas and helped lead the franchise to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Mavericks’ official injury report for Wednesday lists Anthony Davis as probable with a left adductor strain, while Daniel Gafford is set to return from a one-game absence. Dallas has ruled out Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist surgery). Two-way players Williams, Kai Jones, and Kessler Edwards are also out.
Tipoff between the Mavericks and Lakers is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday at American Airlines Center.
